


Forever Is Composed Of Nows

by StarFromPhoenix



Series: More Myself Than I Am [9]
Category: Call Me By Your Name (2017), Call Me By Your Name - All Media Types, Call Me by Your Name - André Aciman
Genre: Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Forgiveness, Happy Ending, M/M, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-01 16:21:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17247452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarFromPhoenix/pseuds/StarFromPhoenix
Summary: I've decided to flip the script! Elio is a foreign exchange student from Italy who is staying with a family in California during his senior year of high school. He meets their son, Oliver, and romance ensues! The story is set in modern day.Please don't repost my work without my permission :)I don't own these characters, they own me :)The title of my series: "More Myself than I Am" comes from a quote from Wuthering Heights, which was referred to in the book:"He is more myself than I am, whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same."





	1. Back In California

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello Darlings and welcome back! I can’t believe I am on part nine! I want to tell you all, the series will be ending in part ten. So this part and one more and this story will be told... I want to thank you all for all your kudos and wonderful comments along the way. This was my first ever fic and it just means so much to have been able to share it with you! But what am I doing! I still have this part plus the next, so still so much to cover yet!
> 
> The title: Forever Is Composed of Nows is from an Emily Dickinson poem.
> 
> Beginning with Elio’s POV  
> ENJOY!  
> <3

The flight felt long and I would be lying if a part of me wasn’t sad our time in Italy was over. Oliver squeezed my hand as we waited to get off the plane. We were out in the bustle of LAX. Getting our luggage took time since there were six of us. We had to rent a cart to help us. We hugged Courtney and Scott goodbye and then Hugh, Tina, Oliver and I took a lyft to Hugh’s place.

Oliver and I had plenty of our stuff at Hugh’s place still. Plus, the wedding was the next day and we were all going. We would see Kat there too. I was worn out and so was Oliver. I slowly rolled my suitcase out the house and across the paved path to the guest house.

“Why does flying make you so tired?” I asked as Oliver opened the door. 

He laughed. “I’m not sure what the scientific explanation is,” he said. “We can google it.”

“No. No google. Just sleep. Sleep. Sleep,” I said.

He laughed and in true Oliver fashion, he threw me over his shoulder and took me up to our bed. It made me laugh but I didn’t fight it. I pulled him to me and he laid on me and we kicked off our shoes. I curled up inside of him and we fell sleep.

 

* * *

 

It was the middle of the night when I woke up. Our place was completely dark except for the moonlight shining in. I got up and grabbed my phone and texted my parents to let them know we were home and safe. I was hungry to I went downstairs and found an empty fridge. Of course. We had been gone three months. I sighed as my stomach grumbled.

I went back upstairs and went into my backpack. I had some snack I had for the flight. I grabbed a snickers and ate it. Oliver was asleep. I looked out the window and thought about all that was going to happen in the next week. We were doing to pack up and go to Kat’s. I was hopeful, but nervous. Living with Kat was, at the moment, making me more nervous than starting my classes at Thornton. We would see her at the wedding. I let out a sigh. I laid back down cuddled up to Oliver. I fell back asleep soon enough.

 

* * *

 

The wedding was beautiful. I wore black pants and a black blazer with a purple top. Oliver looked amazing in a beige knit top and white khakis. I couldn’t keep my eyes off him. He noticed.

“We could sneak off and find a place to fuck,” he whispered into my ear. I felt myself blush. He always did this. Always. He whispered things like this into my ear whenever we were around so many people. He loved seeing be hot and bothered.

“You’re cruel,” I said with no anger in my voice. 

“Cruel for suggesting we go have a quickie because I notice how you’re undressing me with your eyes?” He raised his brows as he sipped on a glass of white whine in his hand. His eyes were so blue. They were as blue as the sky behind him. His hair was so golden as the sun shone on it. He truly was just perfect. He took my breath away. 

Undressing him with my eyes, he said. My eyes wandered down his body and I recalled it from memory. I knew every inch of his skin. I loved it. I smiled. 

“Yup, you’re so undressing me with your eyes right now,” he said with his perfect grin. I pushed up on my tip toes and kissed him. He grinned and kissed me back.

 

* * *

 

Kat and Conner were sat with us at the table for the reception along with Hugh and Tina. I glanced around everyone seemed totally ok and at ease with sitting together and Oliver looked happy. This was all I needed to be happy. The wedding reception was fun. The brides had their dance and then the dancing started. Oliver and I had a blast and we danced till we couldn’t any more.

We were relaxing and Kat and Oliver were talking.

“So, when did you boys want to come over?” She asked.

“Well Elio starts Friday and I start the Monday after so how about we go Thursday night?” Oliver asked.

“Sure!” She said. “There are two bedrooms and I put your old bed in the biggest of the two rooms,” Kat told Oliver. He nodded. “Elio there was some stuff of yours too, in Oliver’s room. Mostly clothes. Mixed in with his clothes.”

I nodded and raised my eye brows. “Thank you,” I said and nodded and smiled.

More small talk was made and I wondered what it would be like to come home to Kat and Conner. Then I remembered that Rose was there. 

“So is Rose working at your place now?” I asked.

“Yes,” Kat said with a smile. “She was so incredibly happy when I told her you boys would be staying with us.”

I smiled at that. I took a deep breath in. We would make this work, I thought. I love Oliver more than anything and that is his mom and maybe she’s come to real terms with us being together. I laughed at a joke Conner made. I just knew if shit truly did hit the fan, it wouldn’t be because of me. I took a hold of Oliver’s hand and he leaned in and kissed me.

I glanced at Kat but she wasn’t looking our way. Yeah. I’m sure everything would be fine. I had to believe it would be.


	2. Moving In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darlings: I noticed some of you forgot the couple getting married but I don’t blame you, it was mentioned a year ago in story time.  
> If you recall, the day Elio and Oliver went out sailing with Hugh and his friend Roger and his wife Sofia. They mentioned their daughter, Amanda was marrying her girlfriend Megan. It was important since Oliver saw Hugh’s reaction and saw Hugh was very ok with same sex couples and it led him to tell Hugh and him and Oliver.  
> So that was the summer before and of course, weddings take time to plan so, here we are, a year later in our story and the wedding made to fruition!! Anyway, without further ado, here’s chapter 2. Enjoy!  
> <3

In the days following the wedding Oliver and I had a bit of the relaxation we had in Italy but only for a couple of days. He came with me to the orientation they had for freshmen at Thornton. Courtney was there and Scott was with her. We went out to eat and had decided to go to Santa Monica pier. We were walking when Courtney came and hooked her arm with mine.

“You nervous bout moving in with Kat?” She asked me.

I sighed. “Yes and no?” I answered. “Yes because I don’t want a fight and I’ve seen the fights between her and Oliver and they’re ugly and they affect Oliver so much. But no because she does seem changed and if her and Oliver can finally have an honest mother and son bond...”

“Yeah,” Courtney said. “Yeah, you known my dad left when I was young. Seven. My mom struggled and I saw it. For a long time I hated my dad and I still, I think, wasn’t over it. Then I met Scott and then my mom met Hugh...” she sighed. She had never spoken of this before. “And I met you,” she said giggling. “And... my idea of men changed. And I see Scott and maybe in the future when it’s time for us to have a family... it’ll be good. And it’ll make me feel better.” 

“Of course,” I said.

“You’re lucky,” she whispered. I knew she meant my parents.

“I know,” I said. “A million times over, I know.”

 

* * *

 

The day came. The day before Oliver and I had packed and tried to make light of the nerves we felt my joking around and talking about the positives.

“Rose will be there,” I said smiling.

“And we can ride Daisy and Sir,” he added.

I looked at him for a moment. I walked over and held his hand. I looked into his eyes. “How you feeling?” I asked softly.

“Nervous,” Oliver said looking into my eyes. “Hopeful.”

I nodded and wrapped my arms around him. “Hey, whatever happens, we’ll be together.”

“I know,” he said. “Thank you.”

We continued packing. Oliver put on some music and the mood felt lighter. We left everything ready.

The following day we loaded everything in Oliver’s SUV.

“Ready?” He asked.

“Yes,” I said and we took off.

 

* * *

 

Kat came out to greet us. She was happy and smiling and that made me feel good. Conner came out as well and there was friendly conversation and Kat showed us to our bedroom upstairs. 

“Ah, well, I assumed you would be sharing a room?” She asked as we stepped inside the room.

“Yes,” Oliver said. 

“Yes,” she said nodding. “It’s.. oh it’s not because it’s Elio and you, it’s just, you know,” she smiled at Oliver. “My boy is a man and now he’s sharing a bedroom at home with someone.” She clasped her hands together in front of her. “I remember when you were a little boy,” she saidand gave Oliver the sweetest smile I had ever seen.

I had a sudden warmth and affection towards Kat when she said that. My parents knew of Oliver before we shared a room in their home and Hugh too had a moment of seeing us together and he took it all in stride. I tried to remember that I would be patient with Kat. We both should be, I thought. I felt if we were all trying to make this work, it would work.

I smiled at her and she caught my smile and smiled back. “Elio, my friend, Cindy, she expects you at the bookstore on campus on Friday after you last class. I told her you wanted a job and she’s hiring so, just when you get there, tell her I sent you.”

“Ok, thanks,” I said.

“Did you tell her who Elio was?” Oliver asked.

I stood frozen in place and glanced at Kat. “I did,” she said. “I told her he was your boyfriend and he had been accepted into Thornton.”

I saw Oliver looked happy as he sat on the bed. “I remember Cindy. She asks a million and one questions,” he said looking at me and smiling.

“She does,” Kat said with a laugh. “I told her you were Italian and she was overjoyed,” Kat said. “She asked me how, uh about, you know, you and Elio,” she said to Oliver.

“Like asking if you were ok with it?” Oliver asked Kat.

She nodded. “Yes. Yes and I said it took a moment but that Elio was a wonderful young man,” she said looking at me and beaming. “And that it was amazing that he got into Thornton and then she said yes that it was.”

Oliver smiled my way as well. I knew he had said to me that his mother was so happy I was going. “Let her have it. She needs someone to gloat about and if it’s you then I’m more than happy about it,” he had said to me.

I grinned back. “Yeah I’m so excited I can’t wait to start!” I said.

After a little more small talk, Kat and Conner left and Kat said dinner would be ready in about and hour. Rose happened to be off that day so she was going to go cook.

They left and Conner closed the door behind him. I went and sat beside Oliver and leaned into him. He put his arm around me.

“That wasn’t so bad,” I said tilting my face up to him and looking at his lips. 

He leaned down and kissed me. “No,” he said.

He looked towards the door. “Oh good, it has a lock, I thought I was going to have to buy one with a lock,” he said.

I chuckled as he got up and locked it. “Well, it’s my old bed from the home in Carpinteria,” he said. I leaned back on it on my elbows and looked up at him.

“It is,” I said. My eyes were glued on him.

He gazed into my eyes. “I’ve been... thinking,” he said.

“About?” I asked, licking my lips.

“My birthday. That position.”

I kept myself from smiling. I pursed my lips together. “Mmm, have you?”

“Yeah,” he answered. “Yeah especially since yesterday and the day before, we were driving back and forth between our home and dad’s home and dinner with dad and Tina and Courtney and Scott and then last night we were exhausted.”

“Yeah,” I said. “So you’re horny?”

His eyes locked gazes with mine. “Is that a rhetorical question?”

I grinned. “I know you always want me,” I said. I was enjoying this. “But at times you’re... satisfied. Others, you’re not. Other times you need me.”

“I need you.”

“Good. Undress. Come here,” I said. I didn’t move. He undressed. I watched him as he did so. It didn’t matter how many times Oliver undressed for me, I always felt the thrill of what was about to happen run through me and pool in my stomach.

He came to me then and climbed on top of me. He kissed me and pulled me to him and undressed me pretty quickly. I straddled him for a moment and gazed at him.

“So this is it,” I said. “First time here.”

“And in the middle of the day,” he said looking around. “No need to hide. No need to pretend.”

I leaned in and we kissed. I loved how he moaned into my lips. “We should still try to be respectfully quiet,” I said.

“Mmhmm,” he said as he laid me on the bed and went for the lube. He handed it to me and sat back, leaning against the headboard.

I leaned down and kissed his erection, from base to tip and slid his tip in my mouth. I hears his soft moan. After sucking him for a moment, I sat up and stroked the lube on him. I loved how he held me and helped me turn my body around. He lined our bodies up and held my hips as I lowered myself down on him. It felt great. I loved how he felt sliding inside of me. I turned my head and his lips met mine. They were gentle.

“Is it ok?” He asked softly. I nodded. I reached back with my left arm and slid my palm around the back of his neck. His right arm wrapped around me and slid down my torso. He stroked me. He hadn’t done that last time. I threw my head back and arched my back. I moaned.

“Sshh,” he said softly. I closed my eyes and began to ride him. Our bodies worked together to bring us pleasure. I loved rocking my body back and forth between his hand and his cock.It was bliss. His lips were on my neck. His breath was warm and his tongue felt so pleasant on my skin. He pushed into me as I slid down on him.

I gasped as he went in deeper than before. “Yes,” I said.

“Is that good baby?”

“Yes,” I repeated.

“Show me how good. Shown how much you like it,” he said tightening his grip around my erection. I slid down onto him and he held me in place. He pushed his hips up, pushing in even deeper and his hand gripped and stroked me. His thumb rubbed over my slit and I felt the building pressure in me. I rocked my hips on him, I couldn’t lift them, since he was holding me tight, but I could rock them with him deep inside me. I rocked them, and his cook felt huge inside me. My body was tightening around him and felt a dull burning on my legs. I couldn’t take much more.

“That’s it, Elio,” his lips grazed my ear. “Show me how much my cock pleases you.” I came and so did he. He held me tight still. He wanted to stay deep in me as he came. I came all over his hand. He gently squeezed me as my orgasm worked through my body.

We had a towel on the bed and he cleaned his hand and gently cleaned me. He then held me tight and gently laid us on our side. I was still panting. I still felt weak and slightly out of it. He stayed inside me and wrapped his arms around me.

“Mmmm,” he whispered in my ear. I felt goosebumps all over my skin and a shiver run down my back. “I love how you sound when you orgasm.”

I furrowed my brow. “I didn’t make too much noise,” I said. I thought back. “Did I?” I asked. I remembered trying to be quiet.

“A bit,” he said. I could hear the smile in his voice.

“Stop messing with me. Was I loud?” I asked suddenly remembering Shannon’s comment in the summer.

“So so,” Oliver said and gently sucked my earlobe. I felt my face warm. “It’s ok baby, I’m sure they wouldn’t hear down stairs.” Oliver said.

“Fuck sakes,” I said. He laughed and I felt him move inside me. I flinched and gasped.

“Mmmm,” He said into my ear. I knew it had felt good on him too.

We stayed this way for a while and then got up and dressed slowly. “Shall I carry our downstairs?” He asked with a grin.

I rolled my eyes. “And when they ask why are you carrying -“

“I’ll tell them the truth,” Oliver said. I laughed. “I’ll say, well we just fucked and -“

I hit him right in the face with a pillow. He grabbed and tickled me. He made me beg for him to stop. He finally did and we made our way downstairs for dinner.


	3. Settling In

I was beginning classes on Friday but Oliver wouldn’t begin until the Monday after.

“I’ll drive you to Thornton and then pick you up and take you to the bookstore,” he said. I nodded as I listened. “Then on the weekend we’ll get you your car,” he glanced at me. I nodded. I think he truly still expected me to drive his Cadillac or Audi. He nodded back.

We were in the kitchen. Dinner had been ok. Kat and Conner were nice. I was self conscious about the fact that maybe they had heard us having sex, but they didn’t act weird so as time went on I started feeling better about it. The table had been cleared and Oliver and I told them we would wash the dishes. We had. Now I was on a kitchen stool and Oliver was on the other side of the kitchen island. He had a dish towel throw over his shoulder and I really liked it. It looked domestic and adorable... it was nice to see.

“So a Honda?”

“Yup,” I answered. Oliver nodded as he leaned on the kitchen counter. “I have two cars,” he said.

“Good for you.”

We heard footsteps approaching. We looked and saw Conner coming. “Hey guys. Thanks for doing the dishes,” he said as he walked to the fridge.

“No problem,” I said.

“You’re welcome,” Oliver replied. “Conner can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” he said.

I saw Oliver take a deep breath in. “Is my mom really ok with Elio and I?”

I glanced at Conner. He took a deep breath in and out and leaned his hip on the kitchen counter. He put the jug of orange juice he had gotten out of the fridge on the counter beside him. He seemed deep in thought. “When you two asked us to come stay with us,” he began. “You know, when we Skyped?”

“Yeah,” Oliver said.

“When we hung up, she cried,” he said.

Oliver looked at Conner. He was quite a second. “Why?”

Conner shrugged his shoulders. “She didn’t say. I didn’t ask, because with Kat, you have to know when to ask,” he said. “But I can tell you why I think she cried. An educated guess.”

“Ok,” Oliver said. 

“I think she thought she had blown it with you. I think she thought she had damaged your relationship beyond repair and she would have to deal with trying to forge a bond she felt she had broken. Then you both asked to come and... well you can imagine,” Conner said.

“She was so anti gay though,” Oliver said. “I -“

“No. Well, not NO, but,” Conner shook his head. “Your mom was so concerned about how you were perceived. She was worried because how you were perceived was a reflection of how she was perceived and that just became an ugly monster,” Conner said. “I don’t think it was the fact that you were with Elio, if you were with a girl she deemed as not good enough she would have been just as angry. But she made comments because, well, first of because sadly shedid grow up hearing that language but also because she saw how gay teens were tormented in her day.”

“And today,” I said.

“Exactly,” Conner said.

Oliver shook his head. “Thank you,” Oliver said to Conner. I could tell by the look on his face he wasn’t pleased with what was said.

“Anytime,” Conner said. He poured himself some orange juice and walked out of the kitchen. Oliver and I made our way upstairs a short time later.

We undressed and got in bed. I curled up to Oliver. “Not happy with what he said?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he relied.

“You can always ask Kat,” I said. 

“Yeah,” he replied.

I rested my cheek on his chest and gently caressed him. I fell sleep soon after.

 

* * *

 

The next day I was a bundle of nerves. Kat and Conner saw us off and I texted my parents andHugh and Courtney. A surprise text from Christina and Josh made me smile and then a text from Shannon was the icing on the cake.

The whole day I felt as if I was just floating on air. I saw Courtney on campus and it was weird. We had no lectures together but it didn’t matter we could have lunch together, just like we were at the moment. “Can you believe we’re here?” She asked.

“No,” I said laughing.

“So,” she said giving me a soft smile. “How’s everything?”

“So far ok. I feel Kat is trying,” I told her.

“Oh good!” She said actually looking relieved. “But how can she not be happy? You’re the best ever,” she told me. 

“Thank you,” I said.

“You guys looked so...” she drifted off. “Italy changed you both right?” She asked. I nodded. “I could tell,” she said. “Like you both became men and you look at each other with this... I don’t even know.” She laughed. “Like you two react to each other’s presence. I wish I could explain it better!”

I was intrigued by what she said. “I know I want to be with Oliver forever,” I said.

She nodded. “You two belong together,” she replied.

We had a nice long conversation afterwards. I was so happy Courtney was with me. Sharing this with me. It felt great to have someone familiar with me in this big new place.

 

* * *

  

Oliver was waiting for me as I got out of my last class. I climbed in his Audi and we took the short drive to the bookstore on campus. We went inside. He spotted Cindy and we made our way to her.

“Cindy, hey,” Oliver said.

Cindy turned to face us. She looked about Kat’s age. She had a blond bob and brown eyes. “Oliver! Oh my goodness! Look at you!” She embraced Oliver warmly. I stood to the side. “How are you? I haven’t seen you in over a year!”

“I’m good,” he said. “No, I’m great. Absolutely great,” Oliver said and put his hand out to me. “And he’s the reason why.”

I felt my face warm. I wondered if I would ever get used to this. I stepped forward and took his hand. “Elio!” Cindy said.

“Hello,” I said nodding and giving her a friendly look.

“Oh it’s so wonderful to meet you. I’ve heard wonderful things from Kat. You’re interested in a job?”

“Yes,” I said.

“Ok, great. I’m only allowed to give students 20 hour work weeks,” she said. “So it’ll be one 8 hour Saturday or Sunday shift and three four hour shifts during the week.”

“Ok, I can do that,” I said.

“Great! Come in Monday after your last class. I’ll be here and I’ll begin to show you what you’ll be doing. It’s pretty simple,” she said.

I stared at her a moment. “That’s it, I’m hired?” I asked.

“Yes!” She said chuckling. “But if you want I can give you an obstacle course!” She said.

I laughed. “No. No. I’m so grateful. Thank you so much, Cindy,” I said.

“No problem, sweetie,” she said rubbing my shoulder warmly. It felt like a very nice motherly touch. She then hugged Oliver again and told him we should all get together for dinner sometime. Oliver said he would tell Kat. We then left.

“So, work and school next week,” Oliver said.

“Yup,” I said. We climbed back in his car and got on the 101. I glanced at him. “You still mad about it?”

He rolled his eyes but I saw the half smile. “I’m not mad about it,” he said softly. We slowed and sat in traffic. He looked my way. The top was down and the golden sun shone on his hair. He looked so handsome in his sunglasses. “You just don’t have to do it. You don’t have to take on so much.”

I reached up and caressed his face with my left hand. The sunlight reflected off the ring on my finger. I gently caressed his cheekbone with my thumb. “It’s not too much. It’ll be good. I want to do this.”

He leaned into my palm and as I pulled it away he kissed it. “FYI, the weekend day you’re off you’re all mine.”

“I’m all yours 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”

He nodded and leaned in and we kissed. Traffic started moving again. We held hands. “Can’t wait to fuck in your Honda,” he said grinning.

“We haven’t had sex in either one of your cars!” I said laughing.

He laughed as well. “I don’t think I could in the Audi,” he said. “It’ll be too cramped but we can definitely do it in the Cadillac.”

I laughed and looked over his profile as he drove. He noticed me staring. I grinned and looked forward. We were moving at a decent pace now. I felt happy. I felt content. It was a great and wonderful feeling.


	4. Conversations

As promised, Oliver took me to a Honda dealership the following day. It took several hours, but finally we were done and I was driving home in my Honda Accord. I was happy. This was mine. It finally felt like I was putting my foot down in California and really beginning a life here. Maybe it was silly to feel this way, but this was the first permanent move I had made. Buying a car. My parents had made sure I had the money for a down payment before I left Italy.

I followed behind Oliver as we drove home. It felt funny. Being alone in my car with my own thoughts. I suddenly felt a bit freer. I could pick up and go wherever I wanted to. I had always been able to do that, yes, but... not like this.

We turned into Kat’s long winding driveway, driving through the fence which was open and as we got closer to the house, I saw Rose’s car. Oliver and I parked and I got out and pointed to the car and we literally jogged into the house. We rushed into the kitchen.

“Rose!” We said as we went in and hugged her. Oliver was hugging her and I threw my arms around both of them.

“Oh! Well my goodness. Boys! I’ve missed you both so, so much!” She said. We hugged and talked over one another a bit and I saw Rose wipe her eyes. I gave her one more hug.

“Look at you, Elio. You look so much more grow up!” She said.

I laughed. “Yeah he’s a real man now,” Oliver said winking at me. 

I rolled my eyes and I went over to see what Rose was cooking. She was making chili. It smelled delicious. I had a sudden thought. “I’m gonna go upstairs and get the laptop. We can Skype my mom and dad,” I said.

“Oh that would be nice,” Rose said. I walked out the kitchen and started making my way to the stairs. I wanted to tell them about my car. I jogged up the stairs and walked into my room, leaving my door open. I grabbed my laptop and turned it on, sitting at the edge of the bed. A soft knock at the door made me look up. It was Kat.

“Got your car?” She asked.

“Yeah,” I said grinning. 

“Oh, good!” She said and walked inside the room. She looked around. “Are you settling ok? Anything you need?” She asked.

I closed the laptop and stood up. “No,” I said. “Everything is wonderful, thank you.”

“Ok, good,” she said.

“I’m starting at the bookstore Monday,” I told her. “Thank you for that.” 

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Kat replied, looking pleased. “Recommending you was really a no brainer. I know you’re responsible and smart and will do a good job there.” She reached out and rubbed my back as we started to walk out of the bedroom. “Oh!” She said suddenly. She walked to the night side table. “E. E. Cummings!” She said. She picked up the book Oliver had bought for me last summer. “I love reading his poetry,” she said. I nodded, listening intently. “He has such an interesting way of writing.”

“Yes, he does,” I said.

“Is he your favorite poet?” She asked me.

I stared at her a moment. “No,” I said. “He’s Oliver’s favorite poet.”

She stared back at me. “Is he?” She asked softly. 

“Yes,” I replied. “He bought me that book.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Did he?” She asked quietly.

“Yes,” I said. She looked at me. “Yes, he bought it for me the first time he took me to Stearns Wharf,” I said. I recalled the day. I still remembered it like it was yesterday. How much I liked him and how nervous he made me. That day Oliver had seemed like a fantasy only. If someone had told me we would end up where we were now I would have considered them crazy. 

“Did you like each other right away?” She asked.

I looked at Kat, as I was pulled out of my thoughts. “Oliver is the most handsome man I’ve ever laid my eyes on,” I said quietly. “I saw him and he took my breath away and then he started to talk and I saw the beauty on the inside matched the outside perfectly.”

Kat smiled. She still had the E. E. Cummings book in her hand. “That’s so romantic,” she said. 

“Oliver is very romantic,” I said.

Kat nodded. “So,” she asked. “And you don’t have to tell me but, how did you become... more?” She asked.

I felt my heart start to pound. I was so nervous telling her. I didn’t want to anger her. But in the other hand, I wanted her to know. Why shouldn’t she? “It was the last night we were in Santa Barbara when Oliver hurt his hand,” I said softly. Her and I looked at each other. “I told Oliver I liked him,” I told her.

“Ha!” She said with a soft laugh. “You? Oh goodness. Oliver probably wanted to tell you too but he was too busy overthinking!” She said. “He’s been that way since he was child,” she said putting the book down and shaking her head. “When he was younger, maybe six or so he had a habit of talking to himself,” she said looking at me and laughing.

I had to laugh as well. “Talking to himself?” I asked. 

“Yes!” She told me. I loved how happy she looked. “I caught him once, he had some G.I. Joes and he was thinking up of some story that he was acting out with them and I heard him talking to himself about which course of action was best to take. He was listing the pros and cons!” She said laughing. I laughed with her. I tried to imagine Oliver as a six year old.

“That must have been adorable,” I said.

“Oh it was! I was so mad I didn’t record it!” She said. We both laughed again. She looked at me as if she wanted to say something else. I waited. “Is he a good boyfriend?” She finally asked.  

“Oh! The best!” I said. She nodded. “I’m so in love with him,” I told Kat.

“He loves you too,” she said. “It’s all over his face. Well it’s all over the both of you,” she said.

“Yeah,” I said. “I feel it. He’s everything to me.”

“And you’re everything to him,” she said. “And you’re both so lucky to have found each other.” 

“I know,” I said. “Thank you.” 

She nodded and rubbed my back again and we made our way downstairs.

 

* * *

 

I Skyped my parents and they said hi to Rose and Oliver and I spoke to them for a long while. Then Kat came and she talked to them as well. Well all then said bye and started getting ready for dinner

Oliver asked Rose to stay and she did, joining us at the table. Connor had come inside. He had been working outside in the stables and had showered before dinner. I saw how Kat’s face lit up when Connor joined us and thought of our talk upstairs. She was clearly in love with Connor. I’m sure she had loved Hugh when they were together but I had not been privy to the height of their affection. I watched her now though as she pampered over Connor and served him dinner and leaned in and kissed his cheek as she sat down beside him. He loved her and he knew her. Her short comings and where she came from. She had no secrets from him I knew that was wonderful to have. 

I glanced at Oliver and watched him a moment. He looked up and we locked gazes and smiled. “I love you,” I told him. 

“I love you more,” he said reached out, palm up. I set my hand on top and we laced our fingers together. 

“Impossible,” I said. He chuckled. He looked as happy as I felt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m on tumblr
> 
> [StarFromPhoenix](https://starfromphoenix.tumblr.com) 


	5. Now I Love You and You Love Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Darlings: you may want to grab a tissue. I truly hope you all enjoy!_   
>  _Oliver’s POV_

The first week of school came and went. Elio started his shifts at the book store and made it home at about 8 at night on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

When we had discussed staying with my mom we had planned to drive to Santa Barbara on Friday nights. It was obvious that wasn’t going to happen, especially not since Elio had to work one day of the weekend.

I waited to eat dinner with him on Friday night and then we made our way to our bedroom. I kissed him as he changed into something more comfortable.

“I’m sorry we can’t go home on the weekend,” he said.

“Don’t worry baby,” I said. “Maybe talk to Cindy about having some weekends off, if you want,” I said.

“Ok,” he replied nodding.

I kissed him. I didn’t want him to worry. “I don’t care where we are,” I told him. “As long as we’re together.”

He gave me a sweet smile and nodded. I wrapped him in my arms.

 

* * *

 

The following day, I was up and made Elio breakfast. I walked him to his car and kissed him before he took off for work. 

“I’ll call you on my lunch,” he said.

I nodded. “Ok, baby. Have a good day,” I said. I watched as he drove off. I returned inside and started cleaning up the kitchen. My mother walked in as I was in the middle of it all and seemed surprised to see me up. “Elio had to go to work,” I explained to her.

“Right,” she said with a smile.

“I made him pancakes,” I said. “Want some?”

She looked surprised. “Yeah!”

I nodded and started making more. She came around and finished the dishes and put on some coffee as I made her some pancakes. Once they were done I handed her the plate. “Join me,” she said and gestured to the table.

I poured me a cup of coffee as well and sat beside her. “I chatted with Elio last weekend and he told me you love E.E. Cummings,” she said quietly.

I looked up at her. “Yeah,” I said.

“So do I,” she said. I looked at her and I knew the surprise showed on my face. I had no idea. “He’s my favorite poet,” she continued.

“Mine too,” I told her. She started to cry. I furrowed my brow and swallowed the lump in my throat. “Mom,” I said. I reached across the table and took a hold of her hand. I composed myself before I spoke again. “Mom. Don’t cry. Why are you crying?”

She calmed after a moment and grabbed a napkin and dried her eyes. Her nose was slightly red. I had never seen my mother like this before. She never cried or showed weakness. “I’ve missed so much,” she said. “I think back of you growing up and I wasn’t present. I was more worried about me. I was selfish and I missed so much. And we have the same favorite poet and I didn’t even know,” she said softly. “I’m so sorry, Oliver,” she said as new tears spilled over.

I got up and went to her side of the table and hugged her. “It’s alright,” I said as I knelt beside her chair.

“But it’s not,” she said, hugging me tight. “It’s not. I’m so ashamed.”

I didn’t know what to say so I just hugged her while she cried. It scared me a bit. My mother had always been so unemotional and closed off. The only emotion I had come to truly know of hers was anger. Her yelling and her cruel words. That’s what I had become accustomed to and now seeing her crying... it scared me in a strange way. I didn’t know what to do or how to react.

My heart was pounding, I closed my eyes and I just stayed there, holding her. After a long while she seemed to calm down and she loosened her arms around me. I got up and grabbed the chair from the head of the table and pulled it close and sat on it. She dabbed her eyes dry and wiped her nose. She patted my knee.

“I’m sorry,” she said. Her voice was steady now. “I’m sorry for not being a good mother.”

“It’s ok,” I said. It felt so strange hearing her say this. “You -“

“No. No, Oliver. You and I both know I wasn’t...” she trailed off. “I was putting myself first. You were growing up. You were getting older and I was so concerned you’d fuck up.”

I stared at her. I knew she was being honest.

“I know people say oh, you’re young, you’ll learn, but some mistakes take a long time to get over and I didn’t want you making any mistakes. I wanted you to get a degree and get a good paying job and marry a pretty girl and not wait too long to have children so you could be young enough to enjoy them,” she said. She took in a shaky breath. “And I wanted to have a son I could brag about.”

I stayed quiet a moment. “A son to brag about,” I repeated. She looked into my eyes as she took in shaky breaths. “And a gay son studying philosophy was nothing to brag about right?” I said. I felt the anger in me. “No one gets rich having studied philosophy.” I felt my face get hot.

“No,” she said. “No one I knew or heard about. I wanted you to be a doctor or a lawyer like your father.”

“And me being gay?” I asked. I couldn’t help it and I felt the tears spill from my eyes. I wiped them quickly and looked at her.

She nodded. “I was about seven or so and I heard my mother and a neighbor talk about a neighbor up the street. A woman. There was a rumor she was gay. I didn’t know what it meant but I heard them talk and knew it couldn’t be good. Finally as I got older I found out what gay meant. There was a boy in my high school and he was teased a lot and he was called gay. If he was or wasn’t, I don’t know,” she said looking into my eyes. “But it was an insult.” She wiped her nose again. Her breaths were still shaky. She shook her head. “I never truly formed an opinion of whether it was right or wrong but it was clear it was something people gossiped about and ridiculed someone about. When I was in college Hugh had a friend who was gay, he was openly gay and no one looked down on him because of it. He’s a plastic surgeon now in the Bay Area.”

I looked at her. She seemed not to be talking to me but to herself. I just listened

“I didn’t really care, back then. I mean when I met him, I was aware of the fact that he was gay, like everyone else was but no one else seemed to care,” she said. “So I wasn’t sure how to react, you know? It’s...” she paused. “It’s a strange thing to be a prisoner of other people’s perceptions of you,” she said.

I stared at her. “I don’t understand,” I said.

“No you don’t because you weren’t like me,” she said. “I acted as everyone else acted because I wanted to be accepted. Growing up I thought being gay was something to be ashamed of, but Hugh’s friend was gay and no one cared and I didn’t know how to act.” She stayed quiet a moment before continuing. “All I know is that I was so concerned about being liked and accepted and respected.” She closed her eyes. “It was all consuming the worry I carried. Making sure I never gave anyone a reason to realize that I was a fraud. That I didn’t really deserve your father or the house or the car.”

“A fraud?” I asked.

She nodded. “My parents were so poor growing up. I got a scholarship and met your dad and when he asked about me growing up and I just said as little as I could,” she shrugged. She looked at me and have me a warm smile. “You’re so much like your dad at this age. All golden and beautiful and such a good heart.” She started to cry again. “And he accepted me. A nobody from no where and he didn’t care and he loved me.” She said. She cried quietly again. I reached out and held her hand and she squeezed it. I held her hand until she stopped crying again.

I had cried this time too. She had never spoken of my father like this. “When you started at UCSB, that’s when other people’s kids were getting married,” she said.

“So it was just something else you wanted for yourself,” I said.

She nodded. “Yeah,” she replied. “It was the next logical step. You would marry and I would have grandchildren.”

“Right,” I said.

“I have something to tell you,” she said softly.

I looked up at her. “What?” I asked.

“I saw you,” she said softly. 

“Saw me?” I asked.

“Your first year at UCSB,” she said. “Your father was going to have that client from Las Vegas,” she said. She looked up at me. “Do you remember? The one that owned the casinos. It was a big deal. It was a big client. He stayed in Santa Barbara a whole week.”

I thought back. “Yeah,” I said. “You called me and told me you wanted me at home that week,” I said.

“Where did I call you at?” She asked raising her eyebrows.

I thought about it. “Oh, no you called Christina,” I said.

“Yeah,” she said. “You had been home the weekend before and you and I got into a fight and you threw your phone and broke it, remember?” She asked. I nodded. “Then you left and stayed with Christina that Sunday before going back to school. You didn’t have a cellphone and that Tuesday I found out about the client and I told your father I would go to campus, to your dorm and tell you about it in person and then would go and get you a phone.”

I furrowed my brow. “You never did that,” I said.

“I started to,” she told me. “I went to UCSB and parked and got out of my car but I parked in the building beside yours,” she said. “They all looked alike. Then I saw the numbers and saw I was at the wrong building so I walked to yours and I saw you walking to your building and you were holding hands with someone.”

I felt my heart pound in my chest. I felt coldness spread through me. She stared at me, expecting me to say something. “His name was Neil,” I whispered.

“He was tall almost your height,” she asked.

I nodded. “Dark hair,” I whispered.

“Yeah,” she said. “You were holding hands and then you two kissed and said bye and you went into your building.”

I stayed quiet a while. “Why...” I trailed off. I had so much to ask but my brain froze on me as the reality of what she had said just sunk in.

“So I turned around and went home and cried,” she said. We looked into each other’s eyes. “I cried out of shock,” she said. “Out of...” she stopped.

“Say it,” I whispered.

She swallowed as new tears formed. “Out of shame,” she said. “I’m sorry,” she told me and covered her face with her hands. I let her cry. I didn’t come close this time. When she finally stopped she wiped her face and continued. “I was thinking I would never have grandkids,” she said. “I was thinking what it would look like on me once it was common knowledge my only son was gay,” she said. I stayed quiet. She took a long breath in. “I was ashamed that I didn’t know.” She looked my way. “How did I miss it? How could I not know?” She looked down at the table.

“Neil was the first guy I had a relationship with,” I said. She nodded and looked up at me. I remembered back to that week. “When I came home you had a phone for me,” I said. “That first night back the client was there for dinner and you had invited Rachel over to join us,” I said.

She nodded. “I figured I could make you forget about that boy and then you could fit into the perfect vision of you I had in my head.”

“That’s when it began,” I said. “That’s when you started trying to set me up with Rachel and others.”

She nodded. “I was hurt I didn’t know! How could I not know! My own son! I was angry that you were dating boys behind my back,” she said. “I was determined to fix it.” She said. “I told myself it was a phase and you’d outgrow it. Kids in college experiment.” I stayed quiet. “I’m sorry.” She said.

“That’s alright,” I said automatically.

“I could tell something was... the way you looked at Elio and the way he looked at you. But I ignored it in a way,” she said. She suddenly laughed and I looked at her, confused. I suddenly worried she was having a mental breakdown. The sound of her unexpected laughter was strange after all the crying we had done. “You know what the funny thing is though?” She asked me.

“What?” I asked.

“I like Elio so much!” She said putting her hand to her chest. She laughed again. “I like him so much! He’s smart. He’s handsome. He speaks three languages! Three! He’s a pianist. He’s at Thornton!”

“He’s the son you wish you had?” I asked. I said this sort of as a joke but as each word left me, I felt the pain of what I had just said cut through me like a knife.

She looked at me. “No!” She said. “No. No. No.” She was the one to get up this time. She knelt in front of my chair. “I have the son I’ve always wanted,” she said. She squeezed my hands. “You’re the best person I know,” she told me. “Your heart is so pure,” she said putting her hand on my chest. “Better than mine. You’re so smart. Smarter than me. You’re also wiser than I am.”

I looked at her. She smiled up at me and I smiled down at her as I took in all she said. She had never said any of this to me.

“And you are your own man,” she said. “You don’t listen to the bullshit. Even when it came from your own mother. You knew yourself. I wish I had known myself at your age. I wish it hadn’t taken me this long. If I had known who I was I could have been a better mother. Back when it had counted.”

I shook my head. “It still counts now,” I said. “I still need my mom.”

She put her hand to her mouth and nodded. We stood up and hugged. She was crying again as was I. But this time it felt different. This time I felt as if our tears were tears of relief.

 

* * *

 

Rose had come and was fixing dinner. Connor was outside tending the horses in the stables. My mother and I were on the couch with the E.E. Cummings book I had bought Elio last summer. I had just read her one I liked. I handed the book to her.

“You like him because you heard him before you were born,” she said. I looked at up her. “I read these poems to you while I was pregnant,” she said with a smile on her face. We both laughed. “Here I love this one,” she said.

> if everything happens that can't be done
> 
> (and anything's righter
> 
> than books
> 
> could plan)
> 
> the stupidest teacher will almost guess
> 
> (with a run
> 
> skip
> 
> around we go yes)
> 
> there's nothing as something as one
> 
>  
> 
> one hasn't a why or because or although
> 
> (and buds know better
> 
> than books
> 
> don't grow)
> 
> one's anything old being everything new
> 
> (with a what
> 
> which
> 
> around we come who)
> 
> one's everyanything so

 

She put the book down and reached for my hair and stroked it. I smiled up at her. She recited from memory.

>  so world is a leaf so a tree is a bough
> 
> (and birds sing sweeter
> 
> than books
> 
> tell how)
> 
> so here is away and so your is a my
> 
> (with a down
> 
> up
> 
> around again fly)
> 
> forever was never till now
> 
>  
> 
> now i love you and you love me
> 
> (and books are shuter
> 
> than books
> 
> can be)
> 
> and deep in the high that does nothing but fall
> 
> (with a shout
> 
> each
> 
> around we go all)
> 
> there's somebody calling who's we
> 
>  

I smiled up at her and recited the last stanza myself.

>  we're anything brighter than even the sun
> 
> (we're everything greater
> 
> than books
> 
> might mean)
> 
> we're everyanything more than believe
> 
> (with a spin
> 
> leap
> 
> alive we're alive)
> 
> we're wonderful one times one

 

She laughed. I looked up at my mom. She looked so pretty when she laughed. The door opened and Elio walked in. He froze for a second as he saw my mom and I on the couch but composed himself quite quickly. 

“We’re reading E.E. Cummings,” she said.

“Oh,” he said, smiling. He dropped his book bag on the floor and slipped off his shoes. 

“What’s your favorited poem of his?” My mom asked Elio. She moved to the end of the couch and motioned for him to sit beside me. He did so. 

He looked at me. “You know which one,” he said. 

“Tell her,” I said.

He took a deep breath in. “Well,” he said. “When Oliver and I expressed our love to one another we did it by quoting literature to each other,” he said.

My mom chuckled. “Really? You two are like a Hallmark movie!” She said. We all laughed. “Ok Elio what did you quote?” She asked.

I saw Elio blush slightly. “I quoted Whuthering Heights,” he said.

“Which was the first movie we saw together,” I said. My mom grinned at us.

Elio nodded. “He is more myself than I am,” he said looking at me. “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”

We looked at each other and I leaned in and kissed him on the forehead. He leaned into me. 

“And I quoted E.E. Cummings,” I said as Elio laid his head on my shoulder. I leaned my cheek on his head.

“Which one?” My mom asked. She had her left arm on the back of the couch and she was leaning her head on her hand.

“Yours is the light by which my spirit’s born, yours is the darkness of my soul’s return, you are my sun, my moon, and all my stars,” I said.

“That’s beautiful,” my mom said. “That’s so romantic.”

Elio sat up. I looked down at him as he looked from me to my mother and back to me again. I gave him a simple nod. My mom was lost in thought and Elio and I stayed quiet. After a moment she began talking about another one of Cummings poems that she liked as Elio settle back down against me.

Elio and I talked to her and somehow the conversation drifted to Hamlet, my mom’s and Elio’s favorite Shakespearean tragedy. I listened in on their thoughts and analysis about it. 

Connor came in and showered and changed and then we all had dinner and again asked Rose to stay. She said she couldn’t. Her son, Kevin, was in town. She hugged us and left.

“Did you know Kevin and his boyfriend married?” My mom asked.

“No,” I said. 

“Yeah we went to their wedding,” Connor told us. “They married this past summer while you two were in Italy.”

“Good for them,” Elio said nodding.

My mom raised her glass, which was water. “To love,” she said. We all sat surprised for just a second but then we all raised our glasses as well.

“To Love,” Elio, Conner and I said laughing.

 

* * *

 

“So what happened?” Elio asked as we climbed into bed that night.

“We talked,” I said. “A good honest talk.”

“Yeah?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said. I felt emotional and felt the rise of a lump on my throat but I had cried enough all day. “I finally feel like I have a mom,” I said softly looking at him. 

He gave me a sweet smile and wrapped his arms around me. “Baby I’m so happy for you,” he said. 

“So am I,” I whispered. “So am I.”


	6. A Family and More

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Skipping a few months to December and Elio’s 19th birthday._   
>  _Enjoy!_

There are moments of time in life that happen and nothing is ever the same. They’re either good or bad. The death of a loved one, the birth of a child. Huge climatic moments where there was a before and then an after that is forever changed.

Meeting Elio was one of those moments. Falling in love with him was too as was my summer in Italy where I finally saw with clarity what my life was supposed to be.

The day my mother and I talked was one of those moments as well. Interestingly enough though, the change was more hers than mine. There was the woman I knew before and the woman I came to know after. It seemed something had just clicked. In the few months that had followed I saw my mother finally just stop trying to control me and and just let me be _me_ and part of that was me just loving Elio and her seeming very ok with it.

I often asked myself if Elio being at Thornton helped but then I stopped. Elio earned his place at Thornton through his talent and hard work and if she loved him because of it, there was nothing wrong with that. If Elio had been athletic and she loved him because he had an Olympic gold medal, so what? Thornton was part of who Elio was, his piano playing was part of who he was so, regardless, she was accepting him and loving him for who he was and I was just happy.

The best for me was just having a mom. A mom that loved me and was just happy and accepted me. A mom I could talk to and joke around with. A mom I could share with. The change had been a little slow. For a few weeks after I’d wake up and want to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t just dreaming. Then I’d see her joking with Elio or fixing his collar or cooking food we liked.

Then came the first time we went on a double date. We went to dinner and a movie and her and Elio cried and Connor and I held their hands and hugged them afterwards. That was another moment that just changed things and brought us closer. I saw how she told Elio to eat and told me to make sure I got enough sleep. She never regarded me as just me. It was now always “Do you and Elio...”

Then winter break began and Elio was off work and we were off school. And we were sitting around the living room. 

“So do you two have plans for your birthday, Elio?” My mom asked.

He looked at her and then me. He and I were cuddling on the love seat. “Uh...” he said. He chuckled. “Oliver said we had plans but I’m not privy to them.”

She gasped. “Oh?” She asked and looked at me and I nodded. I had told her what I wanted to do but I hadn’t said whether I would or not. In fact, I hadn’t fully decided until two days ago.

“Wait, you know?” Elio asked her.

“Know what?” Connor asked walking into the living room from the kitchen. He gave my mom some tea and I was sure he had a mug of hot chocolate. My mom curled her legs up and then Connor sat down. He laid her legs on his lap.

“Elio’s birthday surprise,” she said with a smile.

“Oh! Did you...” he trailed off.

“Yes,” I said.

“What?!” Elio said. “Everyone knows but me?!” We all laughed.

I pulled him into me. “Then it wouldn’t be much of a surprise, would it baby?” I asked.

The weeks passed and Christmas came. My mother had decided to host Christmas so we invited my dad and Tina and Courtney and Scott. I would have invited Christina and Josh as well but they were with Josh’s family.

My mother and I made carved turkey sandwiches for lunch. Everyone came and we ate and exchanged presents. I was happy. I was so happy to have everyone together. Then we put on some Christmas music and Scott put on A Christmas Story on tv and we all watched it.

“It’s an American tradition, Elio,” Scott told him. “You have to watch it at least once!” My mother had made some hot cider. Once the movie was over, Elio and Courtney played for us. It was beautiful. Scott and I were proud. Tina was proud. My parents were proud and even Connor was proud. I was blown away but the togetherness I felt.

After making some side dishes with the help of everyone we settled down for dinner. I glanced at Elio and saw he was happy and carefree. I remember our summer in Italy and the Villa and thought of the dinners with the guests and the extended family and cousins and friends. I knew this, now, was normal to him. It had been nice last year when his parents had come and I had been so happy to give him that.

I looked around the table now and.. for the very, very first time, all I saw was my big happy family. Elio, the love of my life. Courtney, his best friend and one day, I was sure, my step sister. Scott.. was there such a thing as step brother in law? I grinned. I’m sure Elio would feel too as if he was his brother in law once he and Courtney married. My dad and Tina. My mom and Connor. Everyone here was a relation to me. I reached over and held Elio’s hand. I had never been happier.

 

* * *

 

They next morning I awoke and went downstairs to make breakfast. I decided I wanted French toast. I had made sure I had all the ingredients when we had gone shopping for Christmas dinner.

“Morning sweetie,” my mom said walking in the kitchen.

“Morning,” I said. She came over and we hugged and I kissed her head. “You’re up early,” I said.

“Connor wants to breed Sir,” she said. “He’s got some meeting with someone,” she said.

I nodded. “Do you enjoy the breeding?” I asked. “More than the lessons?”

“I like both,” she said with a shrug. She began to warm up the apple cider from yesterday. “I did a lot of teaching and I still have a couple of students. But I enjoy breeding. Plus Connor loves it and I want to learn it more,” she said smiling. 

I nodded and smiled. “Oh, I...” she drifted off.

“Hmm?” I asked.

“I got a birthday present for Elio,” she said. I looked at her. It warmed my heart. “I didn’t know if I should give it to you or if I should keep it for when you both got back.”

“I can take it,” I said. “It would be nice for him to have it on his birthday.”

“Yeah,” she said and nodded.

Her and I chatted a bit more as I cooked breakfast. Elio and Conner showed up soon enough and we all sat down to eat.

“Ok,” my mom said once we were all done eating. “You and Elio go upstairs and get packed and I will make you something to eat for the road.”

“What?” Elio asked looking happy.

“Come on, let’s go shower and dress,” I said. “Then we will pack and off we’ll go!” 

His excitement was adorable. “I’m so excited!” He said.

“Good,” I told him.

 

* * *

  

We climbed in my Cadillac. I was so excited. We threw our bag in the back, my mother had placed her gift back there as well as mine and she had given Elio some Tupperware with food. 

“Text or call when you get there!” She said and I nodded.

Once we were ready, we took off. I glanced over at Elio and grinned. I loved how excited he looked. We were now on the freeway. “Put some music on baby, it’s gonna be a long drive.”

His eyes widened slightly and I couldn’t have been happier.

 

* * *

 

Elio had fallen sleep about an hour ago. He seemed to always do this in long rides. I thought it was cute. I pulled out the map and drove to the cabin I had rented for us. We wereat Big Bear Lake. Elio and I had never been here before and I was excited to bring him. I found the cabin and loved how far away we seemed from everyone and everything. I put the car on park and went and got everything out. I then went back and opened the passenger door. I leaned in and kissed him several times until he began to move.

“Hmmm,” he said. I smiled down at him as he stirred. “Hmm,” he said again as he stretched. He suddenly sat up and looked around. I grinned at the lovely surprised look on his face. “Oh my god,” he said undoing his seatbelt and getting out. “Oh my god, Oliver,” he said again. He walked around and spun around and looked at me. 

“Happy birthday love of my life,” I said.

He came to me and jumped on me and hugged me and kissed me. I squeezed him as he wrapped his arms and legs around me. I shut the passenger door and fished the keys out of my pocket and locked my car. I carried him still as I walked into the cabin.

“Baby, oh my god,” he said as he got down and looked around. “Where are we? How long as we staying?”

“We’re at Big Bear Lake,” I said. “One of the lovely cabins here. This one is for two. It’s meant to be romantic,” I said.

“Oh it is,” Elio said looking around the log cabin. It was cozy for sure. I smiled as walked around. I followed behind. He pointed to the skylight above the bed. “Wow! We can look at the stars at night,” he said.

I grinned and nodded. “We’re checking out January third,” I said.

He gasped. “A week?!”

“A week,” I said.

“God, I love you,” he said again and came to me and began to kiss me.

 

* * *

 

Elio and I were in our third day at the cabin. It was the day after his birthday. My mother had given him a lovely painting of Stearns Wharf. Her birthday card has said she knew this was a special place for he and I and she wished him a happy birthday and many more happy memories. I had gotten him tickets to Hamilton which he was over the moon about.

We had soaked in our jacuzzi tub and had gotten out. We were drying off and I glanced over and saw how beautiful his pale skin looked, flushed pink from the warm jacuzzi. I walked over and touched his chest. I loved how he smiled up at me. He tilted his beautiful face up at me and I pressed my lips to his. 

We had made love that morning. We had then gone for a nice hike and then had come back and had made ourselves bacon and eggs and hash browns and pancakes. We walked down to the lake to watch the sunset and then had had light dinner and had gotten into the tub. The lamp on the bedroom was soft. He looked otherworldly in it.

“You just keep getting more and more perfect,” I said. I ran my tongue over his lips.

He grinned and pulled on my hand. I loved moments like this. I couldn’t wait until we were finally again living on our own and we could be naked together anytime we wanted to be. He turned off the light but the bright moonlight shone in and we looked up at the skylight above the bed.

He pushed me back and then he got on me and began to kiss me passionately. I was hard in no time. “Scoot back,” he said and did as he asked me to. I laid back and looked up at the stars. He climbed on top of me. We kissed more and he took me in his mouth. It felt amazing. I ran my hands into his dark curls and caressed his face. His gorgeous face. His beautiful lips.

“Your lips,” I said panting.

He slid me out of his mouth and came to me and kissed me. “What about them?” He asked me. 

“They’re the most beautiful lips in the world,” I said.

He kissed down my body and began sucking me again. He knew me so well. He could make me come so quickly or take his time and make a blow job last forever. Whatever he was in the mood for. He drove me crazy. He was perfect in every way.

He wanted this one to last. He caressed and pressed his soft hands into my thighs. He slid me out of his mouth and stroked me as he kissed and licked my inner thighs. I moaned. He was kissing and licking and giving me soft bites as he stroked me. He then moved up and was kissing and licking my chest, rubbing his erection against mine. Then his lips were on mine and was hungrily devouring them and sucking them. He was so amazing. So amazing.

“Do you know how much I love you?” He asked me, looking down on me. I opened up my eyes and looked up at him, the night sky and stars his backdrop. 

“Yes,” I said. 

“Do you know how much you mean to me? How much meaning you give to my life?”

I grinned. “You’ve just turned 19, you have -“ 

He pressed his lips down on me, shutting me up. We kissed a long time he kept rubbing our erections together. It was heavenly.

“Do you know how much I need you,” he whispered in my ear as the head of his cock rubbed on mine. I gasped. “How much I want you. My King,” He said. I smiled and kissed his neck. He was so romantic. “You rule my heart and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said. I took his face in my hands and kissed him deeply. 

“Turn around,” he said and I gladly did. He slid my legs open with his and I felt him slide a lubed up finger in me. Teasing me. I moaned and my hips responded to his touch. Soon enough he was in me.

“You’re everything to me,” he said. “Oliver I never want to be a day without you. I never ever want to be without you.” 

It got hot and intense after that. I placed my palm against the headboard as Elio fucked me. I swear every time it was more intense and more passionate. I groaned and braced myself. He rammed into me and continued to talk about how perfect I was. I never wanted this night to end.

“Don’t stop,” I said. “Don’t stop. You’ll kill me if you stop.”

“Oh I wouldn’t want to do that,” he said as he slowed and kissed along my back. “Don’t worry baby,” he said. “I’ll never ever stop.”

I closed my eyes and groaned softly. Life couldn’t get any better than this.


	7. What Happens In Vegas...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _In the last chapter we celebrated Elio’s 19th birthday... we now skip ahead to celebrate another birthday of his, his 21st._   
>  _This is Oliver’s POV._   
>  _Enjoy!_

“Ok! What are we doing first?” Courtney called out.

“Let’s go dance! Oh wait but I’m hungry!” Christina said.

Courtney came over and rubbed her stomach. “Of course you are,” she said and they laughed together. I grinned at them. “If it’s a girl her name needs to start with C!”

Christina and Josh had just found out a week before that they were expecting their first child. We were all excited. We were in Vegas celebrating Elio’s 21st birthday.

The last couple of years had been nothing but amazing. My mother and Connor had married this past April. They had a small wedding ceremony in the huge yard. It was just family, which included Courtney and Scott and Josh and Christina. My dad and Tina too of course. It had been really nice. I had finished school a month after their wedding. In the fall I had started giving a couple of lectures at Santa Barbara City College as well as giving online classes which was a great thing because it gave me so much freedom.

Of course I was just getting experience so I could apply at the bigger universities in several years. Elio, this year had just started his DMA in piano at Thornton and if life worked out as perfectly as I had it planned in my head, right after he finished that, I would be starting work at UCSB and we could finally be 100% settle down into our home in Santa Barbara.

I looked at Elio now. He looked so handsome. His dark hair was a bit long and I loved how it stuck out on the sides. He was beaming. He had a button up shirt with black and white horizontal stripes, a black tie and black blazer. He had his arm around my waist and I had mine around his shoulders.

“I want to dance. We can eat later after we’re all danced out!” Elio said, and so we did.

We picked a club and went and all six of us had an amazing time. We all had a couple of drinks, except Christina and I couldn’t keep my eyes of Elio. I knew in my head I sounded like a broken record but Elio, with age, was only getting more and more handsome. Older, more mature Elio was so sexy in the confidence he exuded. I loved how he was just his own man and just went after anything he wanted.

He was still sweet and caring and was always trying to be there for everyone and do all he could for others but I could see the man in him that was emerging. The dynamics in our relationship had changed as well. I always considered Elio my equal partner but it finally seemed as if he was growing into that role. He didn’t just follow whatever I said anymore, well, not that he ever just blindly did, but, he had much more input and ideas of his own now and when he disagreed with me he let me know. He had also been my rock after I had finished school.

I remembered all the conversations we had had of my future. Especially a talk we had had in bed one night after I had applied for several jobs and hadn’t gotten any.

“You’re not going to just graduate and suddenly get employed at UCSB or UCLA or any place like that, you need experience first so you need to start smaller,” he had said.

“I know, I just... I just wish there was a way to do this faster,” I had said a bit frustrated. I was tired of not getting hired anywhere. It was a hard time for me and my ego.

“Well you need to suck it up and just apply everywhere and when you go to the interview don’t say something like I’m just using you as a stepping stone to get to a bigger and better place,” he had said a bit sternly. I had looked into his eyes and saw him looking into mine, brow furrowed. “If you said that to me I wouldn’t hire you either no matter how much I liked you.”

I laid quiet for a moment. “I didn’t quite say it like that.” I said.

“Well when they ask you where do you see yourself in five years, don’t tell them being the new hire at UCSB, tell them you see yourself being their best philosophy professor, that you want to climb the ranks in their college, you know, show them how much you want to work for them because you do! But they won’t hire you if you only see them as a means to an end even if it’s how you’re seeing it, you still have to give your all to where you will be before a huge university.”

I had nodded. He was right. He kept up the stern talks and kept me motivated and when I had landed the job at Santa Barbara Community College it had been amazing. Amazing. I remembered when I gave him the news how he had jumped on me and I had been the happiest I had ever been. Now that I was working, I felt I really wanted to make him proud of the man I was.

This past Labor Day weekend he had been invited to a party by some of his peers. Courtney and Scott had been there as well. He had taken me by the hand and for the first time, as he walked me around and introduced me to people, he called me his fiancé. Fiancé. I remembered how I felt when I heard the word. I felt my heart thump in my chest.

“This is my fiancé, Oliver...” It made me smile now as I remembered it.

“Oh! Lovely when is the big day?” Most would ask.

“Ah well, we don’t know quite yet. Oliver is about to start giving lectures at SBCC so...”

And life had suddenly become that. I was teaching and he was earning his DMA and we were engaged and our path forward in life seemed very clear.

We were all danced out and decided to leave. “Let’s get some burgers!” Christina said. We did. We went to a burger place and while we were in the middle of eating Courtney’s phone went off.

“Oh! It’s midnight! It’s midnight!” She looked at Elio and started singing. “Happy Birthday to YOU!”

Of course we all joined in. We were silly and loud and everyone in the place turned and looked and laughed and some random people even joined in and Elio blushed so hard it was adorable. I hugged and kissed him on the cheek. “Happy birthday, my love,” I said.

“I want cake,” Courtney said.

“We’re having cake when get together later today,” Elio said. “Remember. This is my pre birthday outing.”

“Ugh ok, right!” She said. Obviously she had had more alcohol than I had noticed.

We finished eating and then an employee of the burger place showed up. “Who’s the birthday boy?” We all pointed to Elio. “Sundae on the House!”

We clapped and cheered and Elio said thank you several times. It was cute.

After we ate and Elio had his sundae, we excited and talked about where to go next. “I’m so sorry but I’m like ready to sleep,” Christina said.

We all hugged her and she said she was sorry but we all understood. “I mean you’re making a baby, it’s all good,” Elio said laughing.

Then it was just Courtney and Scott and Elio and I. We walked around the strip for a while, sight seeing and taking pictures. Everywhere was crowded, as always. It was only a few more days till New Years and we were all staying til January 3rd.

Once our food had settled we went to another club. We danced for a long long while. I loved dancing with Elio. I loved how his body felt against mine. I didn’t drink anymore but he did, it was his birthday after all and we all had a great time. We danced until we truly couldn’t anymore.

 

* * *

 

I was holding on to Elio as he leaned into me as I opened up our hotel room door.

“Oh that was so much fun,” he said.

We walked in. “It was,” I agreed.

He took off his blazer and loosened his tie and plopped down on the bed. He was laughing. “Help me with my tie,” he said.

“Yes baby,” I said and took his tie off. I then took off his shoes and socks and took mine off as well. I then leaned over him and started unbuttoning his shirt.

He looked up at me, smiling. “We’re in Vegas,” he said.

“I know,” I said smiling back.

“What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas though,” he said.

“It doesn’t?” I asked. I pulled the sleeves off his arms and then lifted him up gently, kissing his nose as I slipped the shirt out from under him. I took my own shirt off as well.

“Nope,” he said. “If someone gets married in Vegas that shit follows them home, you know?”

I couldn’t help it and let out a loud laugh. I was undoing his pants and he looked up at me.

“How is that funny? Am I lying?” He asked.

“No. You’re not lying. What you said is absolutely true. It was just funny the way you said. It follows them home, like the plague,” I said. “Like something that someone catches.”

“No!” He said sitting up. He watched as I undid my pants and slid them off. I got into bed with him. He came and laid on top of me. “No,” he said softly as I rubbed his back. “Marriage is a beautiful thing between two people that love one another,” he said suddenly whispering, he laid his cheek on my chest.

“It is,” I said kissing the top of his head.

“People like us,” he said quietly.

I froze for a second. “Like us?” I asked. 

“Yeah,” He said. “We’re together. Been together three and a half years and we know what we want.” I felt my heart pounding in my chest. “Our best friends are here,” he said. “Why not? We could get married tomorrow, on my birthday.”

I ran my hands up and down his back. It was tempting. I had no objections really. It really was... “Baby,” I said softly. “You’ve been drinking. And the day has been insane,” I said.

“So?” He asked.

“So,” I said as he pushed up and looked down at me. His cheeks were flushed and those perfect lips were so red. “So I’m sure the moment you and I say I do you’re going to want your parents there. I know I’ll want mine. In the perfect location we choose after checking out twenty different places.” He laughed and gazed down at me. “And we’re going to have rings we picked out after looking all over,” I said. “Wearing suits that we talked and talked about. Maybe we’ll match. Maybe we won’t.”

He laughed again and kissed my chest. “And we will need time to write our vows,” he said.

I swallowed as a lump formed in my throat. “Exactly,” I said.

“And I imagined Courtney playing something for us as the ceremony begins,” he said. “Because I’m walking down the fucking aisle, in case you didn’t know,” he said.

I laughed. “Whatever we want.”

He stared into my eyes. “Whatever we want.”

“Yeah,” I said. “So since this will be a once in a lifetime occasion, I want to go all out,” I said. “Because I’ll be marrying the most amazing man in the world.”

He looked down at me. His green eyes dark. “You are,” he said pulling me to him. “You’re the most amazing man in the world,” he said.

He leaned in and we started kissing. It was intense and hepushed his hips down on me. I moaned. We kissed harder as he grabbed a hold of my hands and pinned them down above my head. I was getting hard. We kissed like this for a moment, he in complete control of me. After a while, he climbed off me and I saw him get the lube we had brought. He got back up on the bed and stroked me as we kissed more. I felt him stroke lube on me. I moaned at his touch. He climbed back on top of me. He looked so beautiful. So perfect.

“I love you,” I told him.

He gave me his sweet, soft smile. “I love you, baby,” he said and leaned down and kissed me softly. He kissed down and sucked my neck gently. “Now, as my birthday present to myself,” he said. “I’m going to ride you.”

I laughed and looked up at him, watching as he slid onto me. I groaned and grabbed his hips.

“Move up,” he ordered and I did. I was then leaning back on the headboard. He took hold of it, his hands on either side of my head and started working his hips on me. I loved how he did this. His body was so beautiful. I ran my hands all over and stroked him and kissed him, and licked and sucked his skin anywhere I could. “Fuck me,” he ordered me. I grabbed his hips and pushed our bodies closer together, harder. He had a firm grip on my shoulders now. 

I stared into his eyes as we fucked, I loved doing this. I loved staring into his eyes as we fucked, I loved how intense his gaze was. We leaned in and kissed roughly. This continued for a moment, our lips pressing together, almost to the point that it was painful and we took turns biting and sucking on each other’s lips. His moans getting louder and faster. I loved how loud he got. The louder the better for me and I didn’t give a fuck if anyone heard us. Our fucking reached a fever pitch and then, after a long delicious while, we came together. I felt his hot release shoot across my abdomen and chest. He rubbed it in, which is something he had been doing a lot lately. I liked it. He brought his fingers to my mouth and I sucked them clean, tasting him. I was still pushing up into him, emptying myself in him. It felt so good.

We leaned in panting, his forehead on mine and he began kissing me all over my face. After a moment we cleaned up and turned off the lights and settled down on the bed. I laid my cheek on his chest and closed my eyes as I listened to the comforting sound of his heartbeat. 

“Happy birthday baby,” I whispered to him in the darkness of our room.

“Thank you,” he said, caressing my back and running his hand up into my hair. I closed my eyes. I was peacefully drifting off. “Oliver,” He whispers.

“Yes?” I asked softly.

“I meant it. I’m ready. Let’s set a date. Let’s get married. Make me your husband.”

I sat up and stared at him. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness and there was light coming in through the windows from the strip below. I could see him perfectly. “Really?” I asked.

I saw the smile spread wide across his face. “Yes, really,” he said. He reached up and caressed my face. “I’m ready,” he said again. He looked into my eyes. “I am ready.”

“Elio,” I said and grabbed and pulled him into me. “Oh god, Elio. Baby.” I felt the soft shaking of his body as he laughed softly. I laughed too. I was so happy. “I will,” I said. I couldn’t even speak. “I will give you everything you want -“ he pulled away gently.

“You have,” He said looking into my eyes. “You do.” I stared at him. “And now you’ll give me this.”

“Yes,” I said. “Yes. I will be the best husband Elio.”

“I know,” he said. “I know this, Oliver. I’ve chosen you well.” I pulled him close again. He had chosen me well. I knew we had wanted this and it wasnt new, but now, it wasn’t just a thought or a plan, it was a reality. Without warning I just started crying. “Baby don’t cry,” he said.

“I’m just happy. I’m happy.”

“So am I,” He said as he pulled me closer. We slid down and laid in bed with me in his arms. “You and me, Oliver. Together. Forever. For the rest of our lives.”

“As it should be,” I said to him, closing my eyes and wiping them.

“As it will be,” he replied as he kissed the top of my head. 


	8. From This Moment On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I have dreamt of writing this since the day I started writing this fic... Enjoy!_

Elio and I talked and decided we would marry in June and informed our parents when we got back home from Vegas.

“Oh how wonderful!” My mom said when we told her and Connor. “Oh this will be so much fun!”

We had called my dad and then had Skyped the Professor and Annella. Annella said she wanted to be as involved as possible and so it was decided she would fly out at the beginning of March. I went and got my mom and they spoke and my mother said she would be more than happy to have Annella here so they could help us plan everything.

 

Later that night Elio and I laid in bed holding hands. “I’m glad you talked me out of Vegas,” he said.

I chuckled. “Well my age and wisdom should be useful every once in a while.”

Elio sighed. “Can you believe this?” He asked. I glanced his way. “Our moms helping us plan our wedding.”

“Yes and no,” I said. “Yes, because it’s how it should be, but no because it feels almost too good to be true.”

“Well, we’re both only children and moms have things for weddings.”

I laughed. “Yeah.” I sighed. “And maybe they can become closer, you know?” Elio and I looked at each other. “Our dads got along so well from the start, it would be nice to see our moms grow just as close.”

Elio nodded. He suddenly turned to his side and smiled down at me. “There are three things though that only you and I can decide for ourselves.”

“Oh?” I asked smiling up at him.

He placed his hand on my chest and starting tracing shapes into my skin. He smiled widely. He had the most beautiful smile. “First, our rings,” he said softly and I felt the butterflies in my stomach. His eyes looked into mine. I nodded. “Second,” he whispered. “Our vows.” I felt my heart thumping in my chest. “I really would like us to write our own vows.”

“I want that too,” I whispered back to him.

“Third,” He said sliding his hand across my chest and laying on me. “Our honeymoon.”

“Mmmm,” I said raising my eyebrows and smiling. “We could go anywhere.”

“We could,” Elio said. He leaned in and kissed me. “I can’t wait,” he said.

“And neither can I,” I whispered to him.

 

* * *

 

It made the most logical sense that the first thing we would decide on was a location for the wedding. I was working and Elio in school so my mom was truly helpful in this aspect. She had grown up here and knew the area inside and out. She sat us down the weekend after we said we wanted to get married and asked Elio and I a million questions about what we wanted our wedding venue to look like. I truly hadn’t put much thought into it but it seemed Elio had and was very specific about what he wanted which my mother seemed to enjoy hearing. 

“I want an outdoor wedding,” Elio said without missing a beat.

“Perfect,” my mom said taking notes.

“I want it to have the feel of like a backyard wedding but more,” he said.

“Rustic?” My mother asked.

Elio squinted his eyes in deep thought. He was holding my hand. “No,” he said finally. “Not rustic, not wood lodge feel. More like glamorous fairy tale feel.”

My mom nodded enthusiastically. “Maybe late afternoon wedding and then reception outside with fairy lights strung everywhere and then outdoor lamps come on when the sun sets?”

Elio’s eyes lit up. “Yes!”

“Colors?” My mom asked

“White and silver,” Elio said with a surety that made me smile because it meat he _truly_ had thought of this before.

“Perfect!” My mother said. “That leaves us so open to whatever accents of color we want like baby blue or -“

“Or aquamarine?” Elio asked.

“Oh yes,” my mom said and they both grew quiet as if in deep thought.

“And Courtney will play for us as Elio walks down the aisle,” I said. 

My mother gasped. “Yes!” Elio said.

“Will you wear a white suit?” My mother asked him. Elio made a bit of a face and my mother nodded. “Off white maybe?” She asked.

Elio shrugged. “Maybe,” He said. “I don’t see me in a black and white tux that’s for sure.”

I smiled and tried to imagine it. Elio walking to me as Courtney played her violin. “So if it’s like a backyard wedding, maybe we can have like some sort of carpet or something that you’ll walk up to me on,” I said, imagining it. “And the chairs at the end can have white flowers on them.”

“Yes!” My mom said writing it all down. Elio beamed at me. “Ok!” She said. “We will look at places beginning next weekend. 

And we did. My mother had searched online and called several places and the following weekend we had six places to go look at. Three Saturday and three Sunday, all in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. The places Saturday were nice but I could tell it wasn’t quite what Elio wanted. On Sunday we went to the first place we had an appointment at, the Royal Oaks Ranch.

We met our guide who first walked us through the building and then we stepped outside and I heard Elio gasp. He pulled my hand and we walked out to the grassy space. He looked at me. “This is it!” He said excitedly.

“Yeah?” I asked.

“Yes!” He said. 

“Ok,” I told him.

He nodded and looked at my mom and the tour guide we had. “This is it!” He said. “This is it!”

 

* * *

 

There somehow never seemed to be enough time after that. Elio had a long conversation with his mother about Italian food and then he and my mother had another extensive conversation with the Oaks Ranch people about the menu. It was important to him to have Italian dishes incorporated in the wedding and I understood completely.

We also went and looked at rings and finally decided on titanium bands with our initials and wedding date engraved on the inside. Courtney came over and spent a whole Saturday talking to us about what song to play while Elio walked down at aisle.

“So just Elio will walk?” She asked.

“Yes,” we both said.

“Why?” She asked.

“Because that’s what I, we, want,” he said and she just grinned and shook her head.

“What?” He asked.

“I just didn’t know you had that inner diva in you,” she said and I burst out laughing.

 

March came and so did Annella. Then it was time to finding suits. Elio decided we couldn’t look at what we were wearing until the day and I said that was fine. While he would go off with his mom and Courtney, I found myself with my mom and Christina shopping for mine.

“I don’t think I want a regular tux,” I said as we looked around.

“Yeah I get you,” Chris said. She looked beautiful. She was four months pregnant now and was beginning to show.

“Well, when Elio talk about decorations and how he wants the place to look, he always mentions a fairy tale,” my mother said.

Christina gasped. “So you should look like Prince Charming!”

I looked at her. “What?”

“Like a Prince! Like Prince Charming!”

“How?” I asked.

“With the perfect outfit,” Christina said. Her and mother eagerly looked at me.

“Ok!” I said and we started to look.

 

* * *

 

The last sixty days before the wedding truly felt as if they went by way too quickly. It was also finals in school and I was grading and doing so much work and Elio was finishing up his year. Our mothers truly were life savers and would take care of anything and everything and I felt really happy whenever I saw together and laughing and chatting and looking very close.

The school year came to an end which meant there was three weeks to our big day. As always, Elio and I laid in bed, holding hands and just made tried to make sense of all the wonderful madness going on around us. We were happy though. So happy. Elio would count down the days and we would smile at each other and be so content in the direction our life was going.

 

* * *

 

A week out and Elio and I picked up our suits and there was no planning left, since the RSVPs had all been received, the cake was being made and now it felt like a waiting game. Or maybe it was just that way since our mothers were such amazing help.

“You two should become wedding planners,” Elio told them as we were having dinner five days before the big day.

They laughed. “Oh I don’t know Tesoro,” Annella said. “This is so much easier because we both love you, I don’t know if I could put up with the demands of others so graciously!”

 

* * *

 

The night before was nerve wrecking. Both Elio and I hardly slept and we were up and having breakfast before anyone else was, and we were hardly eating.

I glanced at him. “Wanna go for a walk?” I asked.

He looked at me and nodded. We got up and slipped on some shoes and walked out side and down towards the stables. The sun was just rising. The light was still pale and the trees still seemed shadowy.

I glanced at Elio and took his hand in mine. “I’m nervous,” I said.

Elio laughed and blushed. “So am I,” he said. “But in a good way. Excited.”

“Yes, in a good way,” I said.

We looked at each other. “Oh my god I feel likeI’m about to cry,” he said and I could see the tears brimming his eyes. This just made me feel so emotional. I got down on one knee in front of him. He looked shocked. “What are you doing?” He asked laughing and wiping the tears from his eyes.

“I just realized I never did this,” I said. The sun was getting brighter and brighter and shining golden on his hair and in his eyes. He laughed. He was the most beautiful thing I have seen. I took his hands in mine. “Elio Perlman, will you marry me?” I asked.

He bit his bottom lip and the blushed. “Yes.”

I stood up and grabbed him and kissed him and pulled him to me. “Good!” I said. I set him down. “Because we have this venue all ready and guests coming and...” I took his face in my hands. “I think nervous was the wrong word,” I said softly. “I’ve never been happier. My life has never felt more complete.” We kissed. “I love you,” I whispered as I rested my forehead on his.

“I love you,” he whispered back.

 

* * *

 

I was in the room at the Royal Oaks Ranch where I was getting ready with my mom, dad, Christina and Josh. Elio was elsewhere with his parents and Courtney and Scott. Tina and Conner were here with us too, touring the place.

My mom and Christina were chatting about the baby. I glanced at my dad. “How you doing?” He asked.

“I’m excited,” I said. “A little nervous but not in a bad way.”

My dad put his hands on my shoulders. “You’re going to make a wonderful husband,” he told me. The word suddenly hit me. Husband.

“God I hope so,” I said. “Elio deserves it.”

“You will son,” he said and hugged me. I hugged him tight. “Just always be honest with each other. Always,” he said. We pulled back. “Always be true to you and true to him.”

“Yes,” I said. “Yes. Thank you, dad.”

He gave me a kiss on the forehead. “I’m proud of you. Now, come on, let me tie your tie,” he said. I grinned and nodded.

 

* * *

 

_Elio_

 

I was in a bathrobe and looked at my suit. I took a deep breath in and out.

“You ok, son?” My dad asked. I turned and nodded as I smiled at him. “Its a big day.”

“It is,” I said. “It’s a huge day.”

“It is,” he said walking closer and squeezing my arm. “A very important day.”

I glanced at him again and nodded. I let out a breath. “I mean we’ve been living together these last few years and planning for this and still,” I put my hand on my chest. I looked at my dad. “I can’t believe it.”

My dad was the one who smiled this time and put his arm around me. “It’s a wonderful moment, son,” my father said.

“It is,” I whispered. “Fuck sakes I feel like all I want to do is cry,” I said laughing. “I’m just so happy.”

“That’s wonderful,” my father said.

“Any advice?” I asked.

My father seemed to think. “You know Elio,” he said. “You and Oliver have been good to each other and for each other. You’ve stuck together and have cheered each other on through some difficult times.”

“Yeah,” I said.

“But you’re both young and starting out and you’re both very beautiful and full of energy,” he said. I smiled at him. “Life may not always be this,” he said waving his hand around. “Maybe someone will have a bad day and things aren’t going the way you both wish they had. Maybe work is stressful and making someone short tempered. Maybe one of you didn’t do for the other as they wished.”

“Yeah,” I said.

“Well, years and years from now, if that ever happens, don’t forget today and now. Don’t forget how badly you wanted this and how happy you’re feeling.”

“I won’t,” I said.

“At times he’ll carry you and at other times you’ll carry him. Just stay honest and remember neither of you are mind readers so, communication is key.”

“Of course,” I said. 

“But most importantly, son,” my dad said giving me a wide smile. “Enjoy your life! And enjoy your husband! And enjoy being married to the man you so deeply love!” 

I grinned and tears threatened to fall again. I hugged my dad tightly. “I will,” I said. “I will.”

“What you two have is special. Cherish it. Always.”

“I will,” I said again, laying my head on his shoulder and hugging him tight. 

 

* * *

 

_Oliver_

 

I was finally dressed and looked at myself in the mirror. I took a deep breath in and out. I had decided on a dark blue suit with coattails. I had a white rose boutonnière. The vest was a lighter shade of blue than my suit and I had a white button up shirt and tie.

My heart was thumping in my chest. My mom and Christina were wiping away tears already. I looked at Josh and Christina. “Ready best man and woman?” 

“Yup!” Josh said. He slapped me on the back and I had a grin that even hurt my cheeks, but I couldn’t help it, and we all walked out of the room together.

 

* * *

 

I was standing in front of our wedding guests. There was a white lattice archway with a wide array of white flowers. I was admiring the different shapes and sizes. It was beautiful and so fragrant. There was the white carpet Elio would walk to me on. The chairs on either side of it also had various white flowers, like the ones on the archway.

Every one was sitting and looking at me and smiling. I smiled back. I couldn’t stop smiling. Whatever nervousness, anxiousness, excitement or whatever I had been feeling before was gone. All I felt was happy. Happy. Happy. Happy.

Apart from Courtney playing the song Elio was to walk down the aisle to, there was a string quartet who were playing soft music now. There was chatter. Annella walked to her seat beside my mom and I saw Courtney walk up to take her place in front of the quarter. Scott went and stood on the opposite side of the arch way from where Josh was.

The pastor that was to marry us then took his spot. The soft music stopped and there was silence and the chatter quieted down.

I looked at Courtney. Her blond hair was pulled back in a sleek pony tail. She had a champagne colored dress. All lace on top and a beautiful long skirt at the bottom. She put the violin to her shoulder and began to play Air on the G String, accompanied by the others. Elio had told her he wanted it at a slower tempo.

It calmed me a bit and I anxiously looked and waited and waited and waited.

Then I saw him. My heart, I think, stopped completely. His dad was walking him down the aisle, of course. He was perfection in an off white suit and vest. He had a baby blue shirt on and a bow tie that matched his suit. Our gazes locked as he walked to me. Each step that brought him closer made me happier. He looked so incredibly perfect. His dark hair was perfect and combed to the right were a couple of curls formed on his forehead. His perfect lips were in a wide smile matching mine. I couldn’t even feel myself really. I was... overwhelmed. 

He was then standing in front of me. We reached out and held hands. The song ended and the ceremony started. I couldn’t look anywhere than Elio’s beautiful green eyes. There were words being spoken and I heard them but wasn’t listening. He couldn’t stop smiling, I couldn’t either. Then it was time for our vows. I was given a microphone. I took out the paper I had folded in my jacket pocket. I looked at his beautiful eyes again.

“I love you,” I began. “For anyone who doesn’t believe in love at first sight,” I looked at all of the people we had invited. “It’s real.” There was soft laughter. I turned back to Elio and then kept reading. “Elio, from the moment that you breathed life into me, my world has been nothing short of wonderful. You’ve given me purpose and hope and you’ve taught me how to be me.” I looked into his eyes briefly. “What you have given me, I don’t think I could ever repay, but I will spend my whole life trying. You are my sun. Bright and life giving, warm and caring, you wrap me in your love and make me believe anything is possible. You are my moon, gentle and beautiful. You make me feel as if there is nothing I should fear and you give the strength I need daily. You are all my stars.” I glanced up at him but quickly looked to my paper so I wouldn’t cry. “You are everywhere to me. Infinite and precious. I see beauty and I see you so you are always around me. Thank you for marrying me and I promise to be the best partner I possibly can be. I am yours. From this moment on.”

It was then his turn and I saw him take a piece of paper out as well. He took the microphone. “I’m apologizing in advance if I cry,” he said softly and everyone including myself chuckled. My heart could burst.

“Oliver,” he began. “Life has a funny way of shoving what we need in front of us and plenty of times we completely miss the signs.” He smiled. “I couldn’t miss you, you’re quite tall.” Laughter. “I couldn’t miss your perfect smile and your amazing mind. I couldn’t miss your gorgeous eyes or your giving soul. I couldn’t miss your giving nature or your melodious laugh. I certainly, could not miss your tender heart.” He glanced up at me. “I couldn’t miss any of the wonderful things that make up the incredible man that stands in front of me because you are the brightest thing I see. The most amazing thing I see. The most beautiful thing I see.” I saw him close his eyes and take a shaky breath in. “You are my soul mate. I am never more me than when I am with you. Sometimes it seems as if I can’t quite tell when I end and you begin but that is ok, because I am safe with you.” He glanced at me again and I clenched my jaw to keep the tears that were threatening to spill at bay. “Where you exist, I exist and where I am, you are as well. You are forever the driving force inside of me. The first thing I think about when I wake and the last thing to think about begore I sleep.” He closed his eyes again and took a breath in. “It was Emily Brontë who said it best: ‘He’s always, always in my mind; not as a pleasure to myself, but as my own being.’ Thank you for being my partner for life. I promise to be the best that I can be and be deserving of your love for all my days to come. I love you.”

I could hear people sniffling and I looked into Elio’s eyes again and he gave me a beautiful, loving smile. Josh then brought the rings and we were asked to say I do. And we did and exchanged rings.

“I now pronounce you spouses for life.”

And then we leaned in and kissed and from that moment on, I knew, my life would be more beautiful than it had ever been.

 

* * *

 

We were led into a room away from every one else for a moment and the second the doors closed Elio jumped on me.

“We’re married!” He said and he grabbed me and kissed me. “You’re my husband,” he said between kisses. “Husband! Husband! Husband!” 

I laughed and squeezed him and then we kissed again. A longer, deeper kiss.

“You are so beautiful. So perfect and beautiful.” I said looking down at him. 

“And you look like a modern day Prince Charming!” He said with his beautiful laugh. 

I grinned. “Good,” I said. “Elio, husband, I love you.”

“I love you more, Oliver, husband,” he said with a beautiful laugh.

 

* * *

 

The reception was a bit of a blur. Elio and I sat in the middle of a long table and Josh gave a speech. He mentioned the first time he had seen us together how he knew we were it for one another. Courtney stood up after and have a speech of her own as well. She mentioned meeting Elio and then meeting me and seeing from the beginning we were so good together. It was all lovely.

Everyone ate and Annella and Elio were pleased with the Italian food and I was happy. Then came the cake. We cut a slice and then he grabbed some and shoved it in my face and then I did the same. It was so much fun.

The sun had then set and the lighting came on and Elio was so pleased and so was I. Then we went and danced. As the song we had chosen to have our first dance to began to play, I looked into his eyes and everything else melted away. We began to dance.

He then leaned into me and I wrapped my arms around him and laid my cheek on his head. I closed my eyes. ‘My dreams came true because of you...’ 

We held on to one another as we swayed side to side with the song. When the song had almost ended, Elio pulled back and we looked into each other’s eyes and he softly sang the end of the song.

“I will love you, as long as I live, from this moment on.”

I leaned in and we kissed.

 

* * *

 

I looked out the window of the plane. Elio had the window seat but he was passed out, because whether it was a long drive or a plane ride, that was always him. He had his head on my shoulder and I been careful to not move much so as to not disturb him. The were told to prepare for landing so I softly woke him up.

He stirred and rubbed his eyes. “What?” He asked. 

“We’re going to land soon,” I said.

“Really?” He asked. He looked out the window, suddenly alert and awake. I chuckled.

“Yes really,” I said.

“Cayman Islands, here we come!” He said turning back to me and putting his seat belt back on. I laughed.

 

* * *

 

After getting all our luggage we took a shuttle to the hotel and checked in. I tipped the man that had brought our luggage to our room. He closed the door behind him and I watched as Elio walked through the doors of the hotel room that led out to the balcony. I walked out behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist from behind.

He laid his hands on mine and leaned his head back. “Wow,” he said softly. “Look at this view.”

It was evening and the sun would set in a hour or so. “The ocean is a different shade of blue here,” I said.

“Yeah,” he whispered.

I leaned in and kissed down the side of his neck. He moaned softly. He turned and met my lips with his. We quickly made our way back into the hotel room, walking across the seating area, to the bed. My heart was pounding.

I started to unbutton his shirt. It was blue with tropical birds on it. I slipped it off his shoulders and then undid his denim shorts and pushed them down along with his boxers. He slipped his shoes off as he stepped out of them.

He then stepped to me and unbuttoned the light blue shirt I had on. Once it was on the floor he undid my shorts and pushed them down as well, and undressed me completely.

I stepped to him, our bodies pressing together. “It feels different,” he said in a soft voice. 

I nodded. “It does,” I said.

“I feel like I’m dreaming,” he said.

I smiled. “So do I,” I responded.

We both laughed softly. I felt him lace his fingers with mine.

“I promise you, I’ll try to always be the best husband,” he said breathlessly.

“I know. I know you will,” I said. “I promise too. I’ll always try my best.”

“I know you will, Oliver,” he said.

We began to kiss and climbed on the bed. I ended up on my back with him between my legs. He was kissing and caressing across my chest. His beautiful mouth worked down my body. I slid my right hand in his hair, gently tugging it. I was growing harder and harder. He took me in his mouth. I gasped and moaned.

His tongue worked its magic around me. I arched my back and my hips lifted into his mouth. He slid me out and softly kissed and gently bit my inner thighs. He spread me open and slid inside me. I moaned. 

He began to move in and out of me. Long, deliberate strokes. He was pulling almost all the way out, the sliding back in, slowly going deeper and deeper and deeper.

I closed my eyes and leaned by head back as he leaned down on me. I felt him gently bite my right nipple and run his tongue around it as he started to thrust in me faster. He bit my chest hard. I loved how he groaned.

“You feel so fucking good!” He groaned and went faster still. He was fucking me now. Rough and hard, pushing me left knee up and out so he could get in me deeper. It felt intense. He had never fucked me quite like this, with this intensity. His eyes were fixed on mine. “God I love you,” He said to me. “I love you. I love you. I love you.” 

“I love you too,” I whispered between gasps and moans.

He fucked me for a long while. Every second was immensely pleasurable. The way his body felt sliding in and out of me had no comparison. He had fucked me in this position countless times, yet today, right now, none of those times compared. I ran my hand down his chest, his muscles flexing under his soft skin, damp with sweat. He was gorgeous. He groaned as he fucked me.

He reached down and stroked me and I loved how he kept staring right into my eyes. I placed my hand on his as I came. He came as well and we groaned in ecstasy together. 

We laid there a moment. Panting and sweaty and totally spent.

“Holy fuck,” he said.

“Holy fuck indeed,” I replied. We laughed breathlessly. “That was intense,” I said.

“Well I wanted you to remember it forever,” he said.

“Oh believe, I will,” I told him and pulled him up to me and kissed him. We laid in bed a while longer and then got up and showered and changed.

The sun was setting and we walked to our balcony and watched it set. It was beautiful. We went downstairs and decided to try the restaurant the hotel had. We sat outside and listening to the ocean waves as we ate our dinner. Once we had eaten we walked to the beach.

Even in the late hour, there were some people out. I couldn’t blame them, the place was beautiful even at night.

We began to make our way back to our room after walking around for almost an hour. Once inside we undressed and got in the bed. It wasn’t long before we were kissing and touching. There were soft moans and pants and after a while Elio was riding me.

My hands were on his hips and I loved how he used them on me. I had my feet flat on the bed and I couldn’t help but try to push myself in deeper into him. Elio would moan and grind down onto me. I watched, hypnotized, at the way he moved his hips. His fluid motions felt so good. I reached over and stroked him. He was beautiful and so sexy. The way the threw his head back and then the way he leaned forward, hands on my chest, pulling my chest hair. He was so perfect.

We came together, hot release landing on my body and he rubbed it in my skin, like he liked to do. I just grinned and sucked on his fingers when he brought them to my mouth.

We cleaned up and then curled up in bed. I spooned him and I held my left hand up and placed his left palm on mine.

“Does this make you happy?” He asked me softly as we looked at our wedding rings.

“We’re married,” I whispered softly back to him. “From this moment on, my life will be nothing but happiness.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song for their first dance 
> 
> [From This Moment](https://youtu.be/0iJVtJgr6EM) 
> 
> The arrangement for Elio walking down the aisle
> 
> [Air on the G String](https://youtu.be/CLk8OILr72U) 


	9. Call Me By Your Name

Married life was... amazing. Amazing. Every cliche, every corny thing people say about marriage was us. I was head over heels in love with my best friend and now we were married and... I felt like I wanted to sigh every single time I looked at Elio.

Our honeymoon was incredible. I lost count of the times and the ways we fucked and made love. There were days spent just in bed. We chuckled as we recalled how this reminded us of when we first started having sex. That neediness and never ending desire. It was still there, just as strong, if not deeper.

“I remember back then how good it felt and how I just wanted to keep on doing it because it was just so good,” Elio said to me. “Then it progressed to wanting and then needing you. And now...” he had looked into my eyes. “Now, it’s so much deeper. Being one with you feels so right,” he said putting his hand on his chest.

I knew what he meant. I had never felt closer to anyone and now it was even more. We shared everything. Including a last name. We had never discussed this before, although I had laid nights and nights thinking and pondering it and when I finally made up my mind I remember telling my father about it. I remember hoping he wouldn’t be hurt by it and he wasn’t. I remember the relief I felt as I had hugged him and cried. Then I remember telling Elio.

It was the night before we were set to leave the Cayman Islands. We were laying in bed, holding one another. The distant sound of ocean waves lulling us to sleep.

“I want to take your last name,” I had told him.

I had felt him freeze and then he had pushed up and looked down at me. “What?” His eyes were wide.

My heart had been pounding hard. “I love you,” I said. “We are married.” He nodded. “And if it would be ok with you, I would like to have your last name.”

Elio had nodded and began to cry. We had held each other tight. Tears had slipped from my eyes too, the happy kind, and I held on to him tightly. “I never in a million years would have thought you would change your name.”

I had kissed his hair. “It feels right,” I had told him and that was the honest truth.

 

* * *

 

The moment we had returned from our honeymoon we had looked for an apartment for us. We decided to stay in Ventura county since it still was a halfway point between my work place and Elio’s school. It didn’t take long for us to find a place. Moving didn’t take long either. We moved the bedroom set we had at my dad’s pool house. The living and dining room set from our home in Santa Barbara was too big for the apartment though, so my parents had gifted us a small round dining room table and chairs and nice little living room set.

We had gotten a lot of nice wedding presents too. Lots of small appliances and dishes. I was really happy at how functional so many of our presents were.

About a month after the wedding we received a package from Annella. It was a photo album of photos she had taken from the preparation of our wedding until the day of. It was so incredibly beautiful. She had all in color but she had included black and white versions of some of them. One of my favorite ones was when Elio and I were dancing. It was black and white and the looks we had on our faces said it all. But the best thing about the photo album, it was custom made, and in the front, in gold letters on the brown leather, it said Mr. & Mr. Perlman. I kept running my fingertips over it. It still felt like a dream.

 

* * *

 

My birthday after our wedding I turned 28. We went out to dinner with the family. Then came back home to our apartment. Elio had ordered a small cake from a bakery we liked and placed a candle on it and sang happy birthday to me. I grinned and squeezed his hand.

“Make a wish,” he told me.

I shook my head. “I don’t even know, all my wishes have come true.”

He chuckled and leaned against me and kissed my neck. “Then wish for something that seems even too indulgent.”

I closed my eyes and did just that.

 

* * *

 

And so life went on. The holiday season came and we spent some time with my mom and some time with my dad and then went to our home in Santa Barbara for Elio’s 22nd birthday.

Then he went back to school and I went back to work and our day to day life was incredible. There was sweetness and calmness in everyday things. I had never felt so grounded.

 

When the end of the school year came, Elio and I talked about our first wedding anniversary.

“I can’t believe it’s been a year!” He said.

“I know,” I replied. “But you know time flies when you’re having fun!”

He laughed and rolled on top of me. “I know,” he said. He took the book I was reading out of my hands and placed it down beside me. “I love being married.”

I ran my hands up his thighs. He was in his boxers and I relished in the feel of his soft skin under my palms. “I love being married as well baby.”

He bit his bottom lip as he ran his soft hands across my chest. I took hold of his left hand and brought his fingers to my lips, kissing each finger softly. This made him giggle. I grinned up at him.

“So what did you want to do for your very first wedding anniversary?” Elio asked.

“Whatever you want baby,” I said.

“You always say that!”

“I aim to please my husband! Is that so bad?”

Elio laughed. “No,” he said, leaning down and kissing me. He slid his hands inside my shirt. “Take this off,” he whispered.

I sat up. He was straddling me and helped slide my shirt off. I stayed sitting up and slid my hands up his back. We began to kiss again. He wrapped his arms around my neck I slid my hands inside the waistband of his boxers. He moaned. I gently bit his jaw. I slid my hands down further, squeezing his ass. He moaned again and pushed his hips into me.

Our boxers came off soon enough and he stroked me as he put lube on me. He climbed back on top of me and I held his hips as he slid down onto me.

“You’re so hard,” he said moaning.

“You make me this hard,” I whispered in his ear and then kissed down his neck and across his collarbone. 

We kissed as I felt his thighs flex. He was sliding up and down on me, his body warm and tight around me. He wasn’t going too fast. It felt so good and I looked down his body as he slid up and down.

“Does this feel good?” He asked me in a husky voice. I felt him tighten his body around me. 

“You’re going to make me come,” I said as I gasped. He chuckled and kissed down my neck. He stared riding me a bit faster.

His arms tightened around my neck and I felt the warmth of his inner thighs as he wrapped his legs around me. “I love you so much,” he whispered in my ear as his body moved against mine.

“I love you so much, baby.”

We panted softly as our bodies moved together. “How is it that it’s so much better now that we’re married?” He asked me.

I looked into his eyes. “It just is,” I whispered to him. He slowed down and we kissed again. “I think it’s so much better because we’re only growing closer.”

He looked into my eyes as he held my face. “That must be it,” he said softly.

I lifted him and laid him on his back and I started sliding in and out of him faster. He wrapped his legs around me. He moaned as I slid in deeper. I reached down and stroked him as I made love to him. He bit my ear as I pleased him. We came together. I wrapped him in my arms and kissed all over his face and neck.

“I’m so happy,” he whispered.

“As am I, baby,” I responded. 

“I don’t need to go anywhere. I just want to stay here for our first wedding anniversary and make love all day.”

I looked at his flushed face. He was still panting as was I. “Then we’ll do that.”

He grinned. “We’ll turn off our phones and ignore the whole world. We’ll only get out of bed to eat.”

“Perfect,” I said grinning.

“And if anyone asks me days later where I was I will gladly tell me. It was my wedding anniversary. I was in bed with my husband!”

I laughed and kissed him. “Where you belong,” I said and kissed his chin.

“Mmmm, where I belong?”

“Where you belong,” I repeated.

He looked up at me and kissed me hungrily. “Again,” he said panting.

“Again?” I asked. His body was rubbing on mine.

“Again,” he panted.

I was still inside him and began to get hard again. He gasped as he felt me growing inside him. He began to thrust his hips towards me. “God you’re amazing!” I groaned. And I began to move in and out of him again.


	10. Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Last chapter our boys were just celebrating their first wedding anniversary, we are skipping ahead three years, to right before their fourth wedding anniversary. Enjoy!_

I grabbed dinner and made my way home. Every time I thought about going home and talking to Elio... I felt the butterflies in my stomach. I wanted to act as if nothing was up. I had to make sure I didn’t give anything away. He knew me so, so well...

I got to the gates of our community and punched in the code. We had just moved back home, to Santa Barbara. Elio had finished school and we were looking forward to celebrating our fourth wedding anniversary and I had the best news ever. It had even caught me by surprised. I grinned as I drove down the our street and pulled into our drive way.

I would more than likely find Elio on the piano. He had just finished his DMA barely a month ago and was already working. A friend of a friend referred him to an anime studio that was looking for someone to write their music and they had loved Elio and had hired him on the spot. This didn’t surprise me. He told me the studio had said they wanted someone with new ideas and with an edgy sound, and at 25 Elio was literally the epitome of cool and edgy. It blew me away. I wasn’t sure which Elio I would see sometimes. Maybe he was in a red polo and he was the soft and sweet Elio that reminded me of the summer we met when he was 17. Or maybe he had on leather pants, a button up and a blazer and he was suddenly sexpot Elio. Confident and cool and so incredibly sexy.

His hair too, blew me away. Maybe it was fluffy and soft or perfectly styled with curls over one side of his forehead, or, my personal favorite, when they had been perfectly styled and then I had messed them up because we had fucked, and then they were tousled and just as sexy, if not more. He was an absolute dream come true.

I walked through the front door and made my way to the kitchen. “Honey, I’m home!” I called out with a grin on my face.

Elio came out of his piano room soon after and made his way towards me. We kissed and embraced. “Welcome home handsome,” he said sweetly. He was in a baggy tee shirt and shorts.

I caressed his face. “Thank you baby,” I said.

“So are you going to tell me where you went?” He asked.

I smiled and shrugged. “I told you, just some stuff I had to take care of at the college,” I said. Elio narrowed his eyes at me and I laughed. “How goes your music?” I asked trying to shift the focus off me.

“Great! Come listen!”

I gladly walked to the piano and sat beside him. “So you remember the last piece of music I played for you, the slow soft song?” I nodded. “So that’s when the main character has decided he has to go fight and is sad since he may never come home. So this is the song during battle.” Elio began to play for me.

I smiled as the fast pace music filled the room. I watched his slender fingers expertly play the piano and looked up at his face and loved the expression I saw. His face was so expressive when he played and I loved it. The song wasn’t too long and I clapped when it was over. “That was awesome. I could definitely picture a battle while listening to that,” I said.

Elio beamed at me. We got up and walked back to the kitchen where we started taking the food out of the restaurant bags I had placed on the kitchen island.

“Oh, next week we have the final fittings for our suits for Courtney’s and Scott’s wedding,” Elio said smiling.

Courtney and Scott were finally getting married. She, like Elio, has just finished school. She had began giving violin lessons last year but she was hoping to get a job with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra. It was a bit of a process. I nodded. “Yeah, can’t wait to see them get married,” I said.

“Me too,” Elio replied and we sat down beside each other and began to eat. Courtney had requested Elio be her ‘best man’ and would play for as she walked down the aisle, as well. I had chuckled when she had told us this. Of course, I knew Elio would be a part of the wedding party somehow.

“Oh, is Christina gonna come with us to the suit fitting?” I asked.

“Yes!” Elio said grinning. “I cannot wait to see Zander in a suit!”

Christina and Josh had had a little boy who they named Zander. He would be turning four in September. They had also welcome a daughter, Penelope, who had just turned one last month in May. Zander was to be in the wedding as well. He called Elio and I his uncles which melted my heart. It had also made me think about Elio and I adding a child to our family. He was 25 so maybe in a couple of more years...

“This is good,” Elio said of the food. I nodded, coming out of my thoughts. “Have we ever gone here?”

I shook my head and smiled. “No, it’s that new sea food place that opened up a couple of months ago.”

“So you were in Santa Barbara,” he said eyeing me as he put a bite of food in his mouth.

I looked at him innocently as I chewed my food and merely nodded.

“Hmmm,” he said.

“Baby I told you I was going to the college,” I said with a half smile.

“You left your professor bag here though,” he said.

It was my turn to eye him. “What are you like, checking up on me? Your husband tells you he has to run an errand that is work related. Then he calls and says I’m done I’m picking up dinner and that’s suspicious somehow?” I couldn’t help but grin and the butterflies in my stomach fluttered again.

“You realized I know you right?” Elio asked me.

“Well I would hope so darling,” I said looking at him. I reached over and caressed his cheek. “With as often as I am inside of that beautiful body of yours I would hope you knew me.”

“Now you’re changing the subject!” He said and kissed my palm.

I laughed. “What subject?! Your suspicious mind about your ever loving and faithful husband?” I asked softly.

Elio leaned in and we kissed. “I’ll find out. You’re all happy like when you have a surprise for me,” he said.

I laughed. “Guess if there is a surprise you’ll just have to wait till I show you!”

“So there IS a surprise!” He said looking excited.

“Eat please,” I said turning away from him.

“Is it anniversary related? I mean it’s our fourth wedding anniversary on Saturday,” he said. I took a deep breath in and out and said nothing and kept eating. “If Christina knows she’ll tell me. I can text her,” he said.

“You’re such a brat!” I said and reached over and playfully poked his side and he laughed. “And Chris doesn’t know! No one does!”

He gasped. “So it’s just been confirmed there is a surprise,” he said sticking his tongue out at me.

I put my fork down and wiped my mouth and cleaned my hands. I turned my stool to face him. “Yes, there is a surprise,” I said.

He put his fork down as well and also turned his stool to face me. His eyes were a bit wide in anticipation and he had a gorgeous little smile on his face. “Ok,” he said.

I grinned at him and then suddenly I reached over and began tickling him. He was not expecting it and tried to get away but I was too fast and grabbed him and wouldn’t stop. We ended up on the floor but then he squirmed out from under me but not before I grabbed one of his ankles. He was laughing and yelling and tried to shake me off but couldn’t. I sat up and pulled his leg towards me. He ended up down on one knee and on his hands so I pulled him to me easily then. He ended up on my lap.

“You’re so sneaky!” He said laughing and panting. He was flushed and so beautiful.

“Gotta keep you on your toes,” I said and kissed him some more.

 

* * *

 

Once dinner was finished, I went upstairs and changed into comfortable clothing and came back downstairs. Elio was on the couch. “What’s on?” I asked plopping down beside him. He leaned up against me and I wrapped an arm around him.

“We could watch The Great American Baking Show, House Hunters or Mysteries at the Museum,” Elio said.

“You choose,” I said kissing his hair. He smelled so good. He put on the baking show and started watching. I kissed him a few more times. I loved how he smelled. He giggled and I pulled him close and he ended up on my lap. I wrapped my arms around his waist and kissed his neck. “You smell do good,” I whispered to him. 

He chuckled and turned towards me and kissed me deeply. He pushed me back on the couch, my head ended up on armrest. He leaned down and kissed me more. I knew where this kind of kissed led. He took my hand and slid it inside his shorts. I wrapped my fingers around his erection. I looked up at him as he rubbed his erection on my hand. He licked his lips and moaned. I felt his wetness on my palm.

He took off his shirt and I slid my hand out of his shorts. He stood up and undressed completely. He straddled my stomach and leaned over me and I obediently opened my mouth knowing what he wanted. I was still dressed. He was naked and on me. He began to slide himself in and out of my mouth. His right leg bent and between the back of the couch and me and his left leg was off the couch, his foot on the floor.

He reached and grabbed my hair and I loved the smirk on his face as he fucked my mouth. “So good,” he said. He wasn’t rough and he wasn’t going too fast. He liked to do this slow. I swirled my tongue around him. He moaned and I felt the goosebumps on his skin as I ran my hands up and down his body. He pulled out and grabbed the lube we had nearby. We tended to be prepared since he and I couldn’t keep our hands off each other for long.

He pulled my shorts and boxers off and wrapped his arms around my thighs and pulled me towards him, my head slid down from the arm rest and I was flat on my back. He entered me quite quickly. He still had his left foot on the floor. He had me wide open and began to fuck me. I moaned loudly. He felt so good. I looked up at him as he put his hand under my left knee and pushed it down.

He was so sexy. I reached over and ran my hand down his body, resting it on his abdomen and feeling his muscles flex as he drove his body into me. “I love fucking you,” he said. He grinned and then closed his eyes as he moaned and went even faster and harder. It was intense. He was in me so deep. He leaned down and kissed me roughly. “I love fucking you so much,” he said and gave a particularly hard thrust.

I whimpered and closed my eyes. “Fuck,” I said panting.

He stayed deep in me. We kissed again and his lips were still on mine when he gave me another hard thrust. And another. And another. And another. He was increasing his speed. Then he was again, fucking me non stop.

“Come,” he commanded me. I stroked myself and came quite quickly. He kept going for another amazing moment. He didn’t stop until he came. He leaned down, his tongue exploring my mouth deeply and he sucked my bottom lip at the end.

We laid on the couch, spent and euphoric as we calmed down. I ran my hands up his smooth back. “So I did have a surprise,” I said after we were calm. 

He pushed up and gasped. “I knew it!” He said. “Tell me, tell me, tell me.”

I laughed. He was so cute. I looked into his eyes. We sat up. I still had my shirt on. I took it off and wiped myself down with it. I handed it to him. I took a deep breath in and out. “I heard back,” I said slowly. “From UCSB.”

Elio froze. He put his hand on his chest. “Oh my god!” He looked at me intently.

I felt my heart pound. I felt slightly emotional. “You’re looking at the newest philosophy professor at UCSB,” I said softly.

“Baby!” Elio said throwing himself at me, wrapping his arms around my neck and squeezing me. “Oh my god,” he said. “Oh my god baby! I’m so proud of you, Oliver! I’m so proud of you!”

It felt amazing hearing that from him. I held him tight. “Thank you baby,” I said and kissed his neck.

He pulled back. “Wow Oliver,” he said. “I’m so proud of you. I’m so happy. I’m so proud.” He grinned and kissed me. “This,” He said motioning between us. “This is amazing. You’re a university philosophy professor. I’m composing music. I’m so proud of us.”

I grinned and smile. “You should be,” I said. “I’m so proud of us too.” I hugged him tight. I truly was. I was proud of us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is the end of part nine! I will be back with the final part as soon as possible... maybe one week or two but I will be back with it soon!! Thank you all for taking the time and reading my little story. It means so very much to me and virtual hugs to each and every one of you!!!!!  
> HUGS <3 <3 <3


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